AUBURN – A Lewiston man accused of shooting a woman and her boyfriend as they sat in a car on Lexington Street last November pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of aggravated assault.

Michael Heon, 46, of Davis Street, was initially charged with aggravated attempted murder and aggravated assault in connection with the Nov. 1 shooting.

He was scheduled to go to trial Monday. But he decided Friday to accept the state’s offer to drop the attempted murder charges in exchange for a guilty plea to aggravated assault.

Heon entered his plea in Androscoggin County Superior Court.

Each charge carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. Heon’s sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 3. Until then, he was ordered to remain in Androscoggin County Jail on $100,000 bail.

Investigators said Heon knew his victims, Richard Dehart and Fernande Thibodeau. According to a police report, Heon and Thibodeau had both worked at White Rock Distilleries, near the shooting scene, and they were once friends.

However, Heon began demanding more of a personal relationship from Thibodeau, according to the police affidavit. When Heon began harassing Thibodeau at White Rock, he was fired from that job, investigators said.

At the time of the shooting, Dehart and Thibodeau were involved in a relationship and lived together. Dehart told police Heon had frequently driven by the couple’s home and left threatening notes.

The day of the shooting, Dehart and Thibodeau were driving from the University of Southern Maine on Westminster Street when they spotted Heon driving in the area.

Dehart stopped to tell Heon to stop harassing them. Heon then got out of his truck and walked toward Dehart’s car, police said.

According to investigators, Heon was about 6 feet away when he raised a shotgun and pointed it at the car and fired.

Dehart, 38, was struck in the shoulder and neck, police said. Thibodeau, 52, was struck in the neck and ear.

Dehart was able to drive to a Big Apple store on Lisbon Street, where witnesses called for help. Both victims later recovered from their injuries.