5-18-2009 Maine:Herbert Jones, 46, said he was targeting people in an AA meeting in a church behind Portland High School. A school resource officer nabbed him.
5:30 p.m.
PORTLAND -- Portland police say a man arrested with a high-powered rifle this morning outside an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in a church basement claimed there were pedophiles inside.
School Resource Officer Stephen Black was securing Portland High School at 8 a.m. when he spotted a man loading a rifle in what is commonly referred to as “Freshman Alley” behind the school. Black approached the man from behind and ordered him to drop the rifle.
Herbert Jones, 46, of Valley Street, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, terrorizing, stalking and possessing a firearm in a school zone. His target, apparently, were people attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in the basement of the First Parish Unitarian Church, which abuts the alley. Police say there was no connection to the school andstudents were never in any danger.
Another man, Walter Begaye, 43, of Portland was sitting in the passenger seat of Jones’ BMW convertible when Jones was arrested. Begaye was charged with having a concealed weapon after a knife was found underneath the seat he was sitting in.
Police also recovered a shotgun and four knives from the car and another rifle from Jones’ house.
