A Damariscotta man faces a felony assault charge after allegedly attacking and strangling a female bicyclist, all while he was naked, in Nobleboro April 21.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office arrested David S. Gilbert, 54, of Damariscotta, on a warrant for Class B aggravated assault at 10 a.m., Thursday, May 8.
Gilbert remains at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset. His bail was set at $5,000 cash.
Gilbert does not appear to have any relationship with the alleged victim or any clear motive to assault her. “I think this was completely a random event,” Maker said. “We believe a medical condition may have contributed to this event.”
Lt. Rand Maker, of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, said Gilbert had been in a car with his brother on the Belvedere Road in Damariscotta when the brothers had an argument.
Gilbert exited the car. He allegedly “confronted a female bicyclist, assaulted her, and then he was located by a Damariscotta police officer who took him into custody,” Maker said. The incident took place at about 4:30 p.m. on the Nobleboro side of the town line.
Damariscotta Patrol Officer Ryan Chubbuck subdued Gilbert with a stun gun, Maker said. Maker confirmed reports that the man was nude during the alleged assault.
The allegation of strangling raises the charge to aggravated assault under Maine law, Maker said. A Class B crime has a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
Suzanne Hedrick, of Nobleboro, witnessed the alleged assault.
Hedrick happened to look outside and see what she described as a fight in progress in front of her house. “My first reaction was, it was a car full of people fighting and the fight had spilled out onto my lawn,” she said.
“I saw two people on the ground, and it looked as if the person on top was beating the person underneath,” Hedrick said. “I went out on the deck and I yelled ‘Stop! I’m calling the police!”
She reported the incident to the police. She was home alone while her husband was at the gym, and she was “a little alarmed” that she was going to be assaulted.
The incident was “very frightening” for Hedrick and other residents of the quiet, picturesque neighborhood on Great Salt Bay. “We don’t have things that happen like that around here,” she said.
