Man guilty in tavern beating, Milton police chase picked up on fugitive charge

Gilbert Perez

SANFORD, Maine - One of the men who pleaded guilty in the Trains Tavern beating of 2012 was picked up by Sanford Police on a Fugitive from Justice warrant on Saturday.

Gilbert Perez, 32, of 565 Foxes Ridge Road, Acton, Maine, was taken into custody around 6 p.m. on Carver Street in Sanford. He was being held today at the York County Jail, with a hold on him from Carroll County, New Hampshire, according to a jail employee. He is expected to be transported back to Carroll County soon.

No one from the Carroll County Probation and Parole Office or Sanford Police were immediately available for comment on the details of his arrest on Saturday.

Perez struck a plea deal in the Trains Tavern beating in February 2014, pleading guilty to a single charge of felony aggravated assault. He was sentenced to three years in state prison, with all but five months suspended, and two years of probation.

At the time of his sentencing in York County Superior Court, he was under a deferred sentence in connection with his high-speed chase in Milton Mills several years ago in which former Milton Police Office Andy Crone was severely injured and left unable to continue his career in law enforcement.

In March 2011 then-Officer Crone stopped Perez after he ran a stop sign at Church Street in Milton Mills, and as Crone approached Perez' truck, he reportedly sped down Willey Road toward Wakefield.

Crone pursued Perez but lost control of his cruiser and struck a tree in Wakefield.

Crone was airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where he was treated for a broken leg and fractured ribs.

Crone resigned from the Milton Police Department in August 2012 due to his injuries.