LISBON

Police often conclude their investigations by slapping the cuffs on a suspect, but recently a pair of teenage boys beat them to it.

A Lisbon officer likely solved a recent rash of motor vehicle burglaries after responding to a suspicious call at Miller’s Variety, where he found the teens cuffed together behind the store.

According to a press release, officers from the Lisbon Police Department were recently investigating multiple complaints of burglary and thefts from vehicles that took place in the Plummer, Pleasant and Center streets neighborhood of Lisbon Falls during the overnight hours of May 9-10. They believe the culprits may have broken into as many as 50 vehicles.

It appeared that the items taken from vehicles consisted mostly of loose change, knives, flashlights and GPS devices that had been left in the unlocked vehicles while parked in the driveways of the owners’ residences.

On May 10, Officer Ellen Stewart was called to investigate a suspicious vehicle and subjects at Miller’s Variety in Lisbon Falls.

“Upon arrival, she discovered a pickup truck disabled at the fuel pumps and located two teenage boys from a neighboring town behind the store,” the release states. “The two teens were found handcuffed together.”

Police said the handcuffs had been stolen from one of the recently burglarized vehicles. Lisbon Police Detective Richard St. Amant said Tuesday morning he did not know why the teens, ages 15 and 16, were handcuffed.

Police removed the handcuffs. Because they were compliant with officers, they did not need to be re-cuffed, he said.

St. Armant declined to say why the handcuffs’ owner kept them in a vehicle. The owner is not a member of the Lisbon Police Department, he said. The vehicle’s owner is not a member of a law enforcement or corrections agency. According to police, the pickup truck found disabled was taken without permission from a family friend of one of the teens.

The owner did not wish to pursue charges.

During the follow-up investigation by officers, other items found to have been stolen during the overnight crime spree were located either in possession of the teens, or discarded in the area of the store where the two were located.

Lisbon police note there has been no connection found between the teens involved in this matter and the recently publicized Felony Lane Gang, which has been reported to recruit local people in an attempt to steal from vehicles in order to obtain personal information to create false identifications.

Charges are pending against the two teens involved, with future court appearances to occur at the Lewiston Unified Court.

Lisbon police believe as many as 40 to 50 vehicles were entered during the spree, and want to hear from anyone whose vehicle may have been among them.

“A reminder that keeping your vehicles locked with valuable items out of sight even while parked overnight in your own driveway can be for the most part the greatest deterrent to becoming a victim of this type of crime,” the release states.

Contact Lisbon Police Detective Richard St. Amant or Officer Ellen Stewart regarding this investigation at (207) 353-2500.

dmoore@timesrecord.com