CASCO – Authorities have caught three suspects they say were involved with two home invasions in Casco early Tuesday morning.

Shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday, Massachusetts State Police, acting on information from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, stopped a vehicle in Sturbridge on Interstate 90. In the vehicle was Dylan McPhee, 20, of Gray, and a 19-year-old female, Olivia Patricia Pope of Conway, N.H. Both have been arrested and will be held pending an extradition hearing before returning to Maine.

The third suspect, who was identified as 21-year-old Merwan Machhout of Fryeburg, was still at large on Tuesday afternoon until brought into custody at about 5 p.m. Working with police from Conway and Fryeburg, Machhout was located at a residence in Fryeburg. He was arrested without incident and transported to Cumberland County Jail.

The arrests stem from two home invasions in Casco that took place in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Jan. 14.

According to Captain Don Goulet, the first incident was reported just after 3 a.m. on Brown Road. The homeowner told deputies a female had knocked on the door requesting help. When the homeowner opened the door, two males armed with handguns forced their way into the house, Goulet said.

The nephew of the homeowner, who lives in an apartment attached to the house, went to investigate and called 911. The suspects knew the call had been made and fled. No one was injured at the residence, Goulet said.

The suspects then drove to a residence on New Road in Casco where the female again knocked on the door stating she needed help. When the homeowner answered the door, the two males forced their way into the residence, armed with handguns. The male and female homeowners were “pistol whipped” and tied up while the suspects stole property from the residence. Due to the victims being tied up, there was a delay in the robbery being reported. The male homeowner was taken to Bridgton Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries he sustained from being struck by the pistol.

One of the suspects, McPhee, who left his gun in the New Road residence while ferrying stolen items to his vehicle, was identified by the victims when he returned unmasked to retrieve the gun. They recognized him as the son of a family friend. McPhee also has an outstanding warrant, for violation of bail.

–Staff reports

Dylan McPheeMerwan MachhoutOlivia Patricia Pope