FALMOUTH — Police are asking residents to remove valuables from their cars and make sure their parked vehicles are locked after a string of car burglaries and several car thefts.
Vehicles in the Flats, the Foreside, and in the Blackstrap Road area have been targets, and police said all the cars had been left unlocked.
“Pretty much the whole town has been victimized,” police Lt. John Kilbride said.
The investigation into the thefts was helped two weeks ago when two men were arrested by Lisbon police after a high-speed chase through that town.
The chase ended in a crash. No one was injured, but the vehicle, a 2002 Saturn Vue that had been reported stolen, was totaled.
Michael Humiston, 23, of Portland, was charged by Lisbon police with theft or unauthorized use of a vehicle and aggravated criminal mischief.
Falmouth police later charged him with burglary of a motor vehicle in connection with alleged car break-ins in the Foreside area. The passenger in the Lisbon episode, Shawn Dame, 19, of Portland, was also charged with burglary of a motor vehicle.
The stolen Vue had been parked on Underwood Road with the keys in it, Kilbride said. Another car parked in the Flats area with its keys in it had been stolen the week before.
“They haven’t broken into anything that was locked,” Kilbride said.
He said residents should report anything they see that might be suspicious, even during the day, because some of the burglaries have taken place during daylight hours.
Kilbride said he believe the crimes are drug-related.
“These are all symptoms of drug use. They grab stuff with a quick turnaround, like a GPS or cash,” he said.
Kilbride said he believes Humiston and Dame are not the only ones involved, and he has several other suspects under investigation.
“We’re going to continue to have guys out in plainclothes and in cars, but when it’s encompassing the whole town, it’s hard,” he said.
Anyone with information can call the Falmouth Police Department at 781-2300. For emergencies or to report a theft in progress, call 911.
Emily Parkhurst can be reached at 781-2661 ext. 125 or eparkhurst@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter: @emilyparkhurst.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.