Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

GARDINERHome invasion suspect's arrest shocks ex-classmatesshocks

BY MEGHAN V. MALLOY Staff Writer

GARDINER -- Some students at the Gardiner Area High School campus are struggling to comprehend what happened last week.

With a week before graduation, spring sports teams in full swing and students looking forward to summer, the biggest topic of conversation -- and bewilderment -- at the school Friday concerned former student Leo Hylton.

Hylton, 18, was arrested Thursday and charged with elevated aggravated assault in connection with a vicious attack on a former legislator from Pittston and his young daughter. Hylton is being held on $1 million bail.

William Guerrette Jr., 48, and his 10-year-old daughter, Nicole, remained in critical condition Saturday at separate Maine hospitals after being stabbed in their home last Tuesday. Hylton formerly attended Gardiner Area High School with Guerrette's 18-year-old son, Ryan.

Students expressed shock about the home invasion and the accusations against Hylton.

"Everyone feels awful," Krystal Young, a 17-year-old junior who took physics with Hylton, said. "We're praying for everyone involved, especially the little girl."

Young was among many students who remembered Hylton as being friendly among his peers and polite to his teachers. Hylton made the honor roll his junior year.

He was also close with his foster brother, Dan Fortune, who graduated from Gardiner in 2007, former classmates said. Fortune also is in jail and, his attorney has said, he is expected to face charges connected to the Guerrette family's home invasion.

Senior Matt McKenna, a friend of Hylton's, and fellow senior Kip Patten, said the foster bothers were as close as two brothers can be. Both Fortune and Hylton were football players for the Tigers. Hylton's final season was last fall. He played as a tight end and defensive end.

The brothers also had brushes with the law.

Fortune, 20, of Augusta, was charged with burglary last November after allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the Guerrette residence during or after a party at the house. He has entered a plea of not guilty for the burglary charges, and said he had nothing to do with Tuesday's assault.

Hylton was arrested May 5 at Shaw's Supermarket in Augusta and charged with theft and violating the conditions of his release. Among Hylton's interests on his MySpace page was "gettin' in trouble." The account was deleted by Friday afternoon.

Several Gardiner school officials -- including athletic director Karen Perry, principal Chad Kempton and superintendent Paul Knowles -- declined comment Friday.

Most recently, Hylton had been enrolled at Belfast Area High School, Principal Butch Arthers confirmed.

Several of Hylton's classmates said he had been at Gardiner Area High School the previous 31/2 years.

Hylton transferred to Belfast shortly after the spring semester began, Arthers said, because he had a foster mother in the area.

The principal described Hylton as "polite to faculty" and "popular" within the close-knit school of 650 students, as he had been by his peers at Gardiner.

"He had a smooth transition to our school," Arthers said.

With the opportunity to graduate from high school this semester, Hylton suddenly left Belfast Area High School in the middle of the semester after hearing his biological father died in Florida.

Arthers said Hylton returned to school after the death, but he had fallen behind in his schoolwork and he "decided to drop out."

Hylton, Arthers said, left Belfast Area High School about four weeks ago.

Upon hearing of Hylton's arrest, the Belfast school system was "just in shock," Arthers said. "There's nothing else I can say. We're shocked and we don't understand."

Neither do Hylton's former classmates in Gardiner, many of whom are saddened to hear about the Guerrette family as well as Hylton's alleged involvement.

"He sometimes got in a little trouble but I can't imagine Leo doing anything like this," Patten said, as McKenna nodded in agreement. "No way."

As police searched for clues to piece together the Guerrette attacks and Hylton stood accused of having a role in them, his former classmates were partaking in end-of-high-school rituals: senior supper, finals and receiving their black caps and gowns for the June 7 graduation.

"You never think someone you go to high school with and know would ever be capable of such a heinous thing," senior James Riley said. "It's unfortunate for everybody -- the Guerrettes, Leo's family, the community, everybody."

Meghan V. Malloy -- 623-3811 Ext. 431

mmalloy@centralmaine.com