Family disputes police finding of no crime in stabbing death of Portland man

The family of the 22-year-old Portland man who died of a stab wound shortly after crashing his car on Brighton Avenue said Tuesday they disagree with the police conclusion that no crime was committed.

Patrick Lobor died Saturday afternoon after his car struck a vehicle that had stopped for a red light at Brighton and Riverside Street, pushing that car into an SUV. Police said Lobor got out of his car, stumbled to the middle of the intersection and collapsed.

Lobor died at the scene from a stab wound to the chest, according to the state medical examiner’s office.

On Monday, police said they are confident there was no foul play in Lobor’s death, but have yet to explain how he came to be stabbed.

“Our family respects the work of Portland Police Department but we disagree with their conclusion that there was no crime committed,” Robert Lado Lobor, Patrick’s father, said in a statement released Tuesday. “The information we received and what the police shared raises more questions than answers.”

When reached at their Munjoy Hill home Tuesday, Richard Lobor declined to elaborate on what police told the family or why they are now disputing it.

The statement was released a day after Portland police briefed the family on the results of Lobor’s autopsy and the conclusion that there was no crime committed in his death.

The manner of death – such as homicide, suicide or accident – remains under investigation and police are still looking to speak with anyone who saw the crash or had contact with Lobor before the incident, police said. A spokesman, Lt. Robert Martin, declined to comment on the family’s statement and said police are still investigating what led up to Lobor’s death.

“We’re still talking to people,” Martin said Tuesday.

The family’s statement said there was no indication anything was wrong in the hours before his death.

“We know our son,” Robert Lobor wrote. “He was running some errands with me before his death. He was behaving normally with nothing out of character. There was a difference of less than two hours from when Patrick left his family home and the tragic accident at Riverside Street.”

‘EVERYONE HAS QUESTIONS’

About 200 people, mostly family, friends and neighbors gathered Tuesday evening on the Munjoy South basketball court where they held a vigil to honor Lobor’s life and accomplishments. Friends cautioned the huge crowd against jumping to any conclusions.

“Everyone has questions that can’t be answered,” a family friend told the crowd.

Lobor’s older sister, Lily Lobor, struggled with emotion as she tried to find the words to describe her younger brother’s life and the losses her family has suffered.

“He was a generous person. Patrick could never say no to anyone,” Lobor said.

Patrick’s brother, Richard Lobor, was shot in the head and died at age 23 on Nov. 21, 2014, at an apartment at 214 Brighton Ave. His murderer, Abdirahman Hussein Haji-Hassan, was arrested and convicted.

“I’ve lost two brothers, not just one. It is the hardest thing. I feel like my soul died with Patrick,” Lobor said, while two brothers stood next to her and comforted her.

Anthony Lobor is a sophomore at Southern Maine Community College and plays forward for the Sea Wolves, according to his coach, Matt Richards, who attended the vigil.

“My brother had a different kind of soul, a different kind of energy,” Anthony told the crowd. “Now, I’m the older brother and I am going to take care of my family. We’re going to stay strong.”

Patrick Lobor’s twin sister, Pam, also spoke at the vigil.

“I never thought there would be a day that I’d have to bury my best friend,” she said. “Patrick was such a kind-hearted person, he was open to everyone.”

SUDANESE FAMILY CAME TO CITY IN 2004

Lobor’s parents, Robert Lobor and Christina Marring live on Kellogg Street, a short walk to the Munjoy South basketball court and playground. The family are Sudanese refugees who came to Portland in 2004.

Robert Lobor in a Sunday interview described his son as a “good boy, very decent, very quiet” who taught his two younger brothers how to play basketball.

According to Portland police, Lobor was the only occupant of a silver 2004 Toyota Corolla traveling on Riverside Street toward Brighton Avenue when it struck a blue 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt that was stopped at a traffic light Saturday afternoon.

The driver of the Cobalt, Ashley Hallstrom, 32, and her passenger, Eric Kingston, 40, both of Gorham, were taken by ambulance to the hospital, where they were treated and released. Hallstrom’s car was forced into the side of a Chevy Equinox driven by Matthew Foster, 22, of Casco. Foster was not injured, police said.

The family’s statement thanked the community for their continued support, and said a funeral service is tentatively planned for August, but no other details about the service were immediately available.

“We know that our son was a decent and caring person and beloved by many,” Robert Lobor said in the statement. “What we didn’t know is how many lives he had touched in our greater community through sports.”

CAMPAIGN FOR FUNERAL EXPENSES

Lyd Ismail, a friend of Lobor’s, started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for funeral expenses. As of Tuesday evening the campaign had raised more than $8,900.

Ismail said on the fundraising site that Lobor grew up in Portland and became involved in the community at a young age. He spent time at the Boys & Girls Club and played basketball on the Kennedy Park basketball courts before showcasing his athletic skills on the big stage at the former Cumberland County Civic Center.

At 6-feet-5-inches tall, Lobor was a multisport athlete at Deering High School, where he helped lead his basketball team to a state championship in 2012.

He went on to play basketball at Southern Maine Community College during the 2016-2017 season. He studied health sciences at SMCC and worked at a South Portland hotel.