AUGUSTA — A man awaiting trial on murder, arson, robbery and theft charges has been indicted by a grand jury in Kennebec County on a charge of assaulting a jail officer and damaging a cell.

David Brian Silva Jr., 34, of Carver, Mass., is accused of killing Robert Orr, of Readfield, on Feb. 8, 2011, and then setting Orr’s house on fire to cover up the crime.

Silva was indicted Thursday on charges of assault on an officer, criminal mischief and terrorizing stemming from an incident July 26 in the Kennebec County jail, where he was being held.

He allegedly hit a jail guard in the chest with his head, threatened to kill another guard and smeared feces in his cell. Officers wearing hazardous-materials suits cleaned it up, according to a Kennebec County sheriff’s deputy.

Silva is scheduled to be tried in Franklin County Superior Court in early February on the charges related to Orr’s killing.

An indictment is not a determination of guilt, but indicates that there is enough evidence to proceed with formal charges and a trial.

Advertisement

The same grand jury indicted a Waterville man on robbery and other charges for allegedly breaking into an apartment and assaulting three occupants.

Junious J. Liggins, 32, was indicted on charges of aggravated criminal trespass and two counts each of assault and criminal use of disabling chemicals, in addition to the robbery charge.

Liggins is accused of breaking into the apartment on Water Street in Waterville around 9:45 p.m. Oct. 22 with two other people, including 20-year-old Clifford Dumont, of Waterville, and a 14-year-old girl. Once inside, the group allegedly held a knife to one of the residents and doused another with pepper spray. A cellphone and a wallet were reported stolen during the break-in.

Waterville police Deputy Chief Charles Rumsey said at the time of the arrests that Dumont and a man in the apartment had a disagreement about a woman, who was the ex-girlfriend of one of the men and the current girlfriend of another. Rumsey said a text message exchange culminated in Dumont, Liggins and the teen going to the apartment.

The teen, who was found walking with the two men on Sherwin Street in Waterville, was carrying a knife in her bra when arrested, police said, and charged with trafficking in dangerous knives.

Dumont was sentenced earlier this month in Kennebec County Superior Court to five years in prison, with all but two years suspended, and two years of probation for two assaults and one count of aggravated criminal trespass. A robbery charge was dismissed in exchange for the plea.

Advertisement

A number of other people were indicted by the same grand jury:

* Glenn M. Bartlett, 31, of Augusta, domestic-violence assault, Oct. 28 in Augusta.

* Clinton U. Bates, 35, of Oakland, two counts of receiving stolen property, Aug. 17 in Waterville.

* Prince Benjamin, 27, of Kennebunk, violation of condition of release and domestic-violence terrorizing, Oct. 17 in Waterville.

* Keegan Scott Brooks, 19, of Augusta, burglary, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer and criminal mischief, Nov. 6 in Augusta.

* John H. Council, 32, of Waterville, operating after revocation, June 22 in Waterville.

Advertisement

* Diane F. Diaz, 24, of Waterville, domestic-violence assault, Nov. 12 in Waterville.

* Danielle M. Gallagher, 28, of Wales, theft by unauthorized taking Oct. 20, 2011, and failure to appear Nov. 16, 2011, in Augusta.

* Richard L. Harrison, 44, of Manchester, leaving the scene of an accident, June 5, 2011, in Winthrop.

* Nicholas R. Hutchings, 25, of Randolph, domestic-violence terrorizing and obstructing report of a crime, Aug. 28 in Randolph, and violating of condition of release and theft by unauthorized taking, Nov. 11 in Augusta.

* Dylan S. Karczewski, 19, of Augusta, robbery, stealing drugs and terrorizing, Oct. 23 in Augusta.

* Daniel L. Kinney, 34, of Augusta, burglary and theft by unauthorized taking, July 14 in Belgrade.

Advertisement

* Christopher T. Laplante, 23, of Augusta, forgery and theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, between July 5 and July 16 in Augusta.

* Tyler R. Litalien, 19, of Waterville, burglary, theft by unauthorized taking and burglary of a motor vehicle, June 29 in Waterville.

* Nixon A. Louis, 42, of Manchester, Conn., unlawful furnishing of cocaine base and unlawful possession of cocaine base, Nov. 17 in Augusta.

* Sadie M. Martin, 26, of Skowhegan, theft by unauthorized taking, Feb. 16 in Waterville.

* Kory K. McPhail, 22, of Winslow, theft by unauthorized taking, Set. 25 in Benton.

* Louis A. Miller Jr., 48, of Palermo, aggravated operating after habitual offender revocation, operating after revocation, criminal operating under the influence, Aug. 11 in Albion.

Advertisement

* Thomas J. Rodriguez, 31, of Farmingdale, robbery, criminal threatening and assault, Nov. 6 in Augusta.

* Leiza L. Ruest, 47, of Waterville, aggravated criminal trespass and assault, July 8 in Waterville.

* Michael C. Swift, 25, of Chelsea, assault and terrorizing, June 9 in Augusta.

* Jason L. Truman, 34, of Augusta, robbery, Nov. 26 in Augusta.

* Timothy L. Vannah, 27, of Litchfield, unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs, violation of condition of release and criminal forfeiture of $1,540, on Aug. 5; three counts of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs and criminal forfeiture of $1,352, all on Dec. 9. 2011, and all in Litchfield.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.