WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — A 29-year-old Windsor man accused of pistol-whipping a woman and helping to steal her wallet during an armed home invasion last week pleaded not guilty to the charges in Windsor Superior Court on Monday.
Colby Bowen, who is facing counts of aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, reckless endangerment and unlawful mischief, was ordered released during his virtual arraignment Monday. The judge’s decision came with the conditions that Bowen must abide by a 24-hour curfew — with exemptions for medical, employment and legal reasons — and must have no contact with the victims in the case.
Bowen turned himself in to the Springfield Police Department on Friday.
“This is a closer call than it otherwise would have been, Mr. Bowen, had you not turned yourself in,” Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Mann said during the arraignment.
Bowen, who appeared virtually, held his face in his hands and shook his head as Mann discussed the charges.
Police believe a total of four people may have been involved in the home invasion Thursday at a home on Route 5 in Hartland, according to an affidavit written by Vermont State Police Det. Trooper Tyler Noyes and provided to the Valley News Monday.
Another man, Aaron Gobin, 33, was arrested Friday and pleaded not guilty to the accusations in Rutland Superior Court. He was ordered held without bail during his arraignment.
Angela Sweet, 34, told police in an interview that she and 28-year-old Audrey Knudsen were sleeping in bed around 7 a.m. that morning when four men — including one carrying a long gun and another with a handgun — kicked in her front door. One of the men, whom Sweet later identified as Bowen, hit her with the gun, knocking her to the floor before stepping on her head and holding her down, Sweet told police.
The men grabbed Sweet’s purse, which had $1,200 in it, and Knudsen’s purse and fled the house into a van that was parked outside, according to police.
Sweet told police that during the assault, she realized she recognized two of the men as Bowen and Gobin, who were friends of hers, the affidavit said.
Hours after the incident, Hartford police found Gobin at a home in Wilder and took him into custody. He denied the allegations, accusing Sweet of retaliating against him following a dispute over a car he owned, according to the affidavit.
Windsor County State’s Attorney Ward Goodenough declined to say whether Vermont State Police and Windsor County prosecutors are looking for more suspects in the case. No one else has been charged, but the two departments continue to investigate the case.
Anna Merriman can be reached at amerriman@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.