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MECHANIC FALLS — Another cannabis store was targeted by thieves early Thursday morning when a pair of would-be burglars attempted to break into the High Rollers Dispensary on Route 26.
This time, the culprits never gained entry into the store, unlike in a slew of pot and gun store break-ins that have occurred in the area since the start of the year.
Video surveillance from the burglary attempt at 1:27 a.m. shows what appears to be two teen boys, wearing hooded sweatshirts, carrying baskets and a hatchet at the front of the store.
At the edge of a the screen, the pair appear to be trying to force their way in. Moments later, passing traffic appears to spook them and they leave the area.
A store official said screens were ripped off but no windows were broken.
Mechanic Falls police are investigating, but it’s expected that the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office will also get involved.
The sheriff’s office has been investigating numerous break-ins at marijuana stores, the bulk of them in Turner.
Earlier in the week, 45 North Cannabis Co. was broken into for the second time since April. In that burglary Tuesday extensive damage was done to the building and an undisclosed amount of product was stolen.
The owner of 45 North released surveillance photos afterward. A video of the break-in reveals what appears to be two young men attacking the side of the building before crawling through a window.
Later, the suspects are seen inside the store, smashing glass cases and filling bags with goods.
Investigators believe the recent wave of burglaries are related. In each break-in, surveillance footage reveals masked teenage boys either breaking into businesses or attempting to.
The Turner area has been the site of several burglaries and attempted burglaries at both pot and gun stores. In March, Vacationland Cannabis and Northeastern Firearms were the targets. Around the same time, a similar burglary was reported at First Due Firearms in Sabattus.
In April, two Portland area teens were arrested in connection with burglaries at gun and marijuana stores in Turner and Sabattus earlier in the year.
The teens had been using stolen vehicles during those heists, police said. The teens were captured after police examined surveillance footage from area Flock cameras, GPS data from a stolen truck, and video from security cameras at the Maine Mall in Portland.
The suspects, 16 and 17 years old, were taken to Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, each charged with a dozen counts of burglary, theft and criminal mischief.
Mark LaFlamme is a Sun Journal reporter and weekly columnist. He's been on the nighttime police beat since 1994, which is just grand because he doesn't like getting out of bed before noon. Mark is the… More by Mark LaFlamme
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