A New Hampshire man was arrested early Thursday morning following a street brawl near 40 Main St. in downtown Bangor during which he allegedly backed a car into another person, according to police.
Alexander Coronado, 26, of Manchester was with a group of people who went to a bar near downtown Wednesday night, Bangor police spokesman Sgt. Wade Betters said Friday. Coronado was turned away because he did not have identification.
The others in the group allegedly asked Coronado to stay with the car the group had arrived in while they were in the bar, Betters said. But when they left the bar at about 1 a.m. Thursday, the car was missing.
A short time later, members of the group saw Coronado driving it on Main Street, Betters said. They yelled for him to stop, which he did, and a heated argument ensued.
Coronado allegedly backed the car into one of the other people involved in the argument, according to police. Coronado then allegedly got out of the car and began fighting with members of the group.
Police charged Coronado with elevated aggravated assault, a Class A crime; assault, a Class D crime; and disorderly conduct and operating without a license, both Class E crimes.
The Penobscot County district attorney’s office did not go forward with those charges. It instead charged him with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, a Class C crime, and two counts of assault, a Class D crime.
Coronado, a citizen of Guatemala, made his first court appearance Friday before Superior Court Justice Joyce Wheeler. He was not asked to enter pleas because he has not yet been indicted by the Penobscot County grand jury.
Through a Spanish language interpreter and lawyer-of-the day Peter Bos of Bangor, Coronado said that he is a carpenter and had been in Bangor since Monday working but had not yet been paid. He said that he has lived and worked in New Hampshire for more than seven years.
If convicted, Coronado faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000 on the reckless conduct charge. He faces up to a year in prison and fines of up to $2,000 if convicted on the assault charge.
Coronado also could be deported if he is convicted of a felony.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Rucci said his office did not go forward the elevated aggravated assault charge because the victim was not seriously injured. His office did not pursue the operating without a license charge because of difficulty proving whether Coronado was ever licensed in his home country.
Wheeler set bail at $2,500 unsecured. Coronado is next due in court June 11.