Manuel O’Shea

CHINA — Three people from Massachusetts were arrested over the weekend and charged with carrying out a string of car burglaries between Saturday night and Sunday morning, then using a stolen credit card at a local diner and gas station, police said.

The trio allegedly entered at least six unlocked cars located off Neck Road, Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said in a news release Tuesday. The cars were parked along fire roads 15, 16 and 17, in a secluded area that’s near China Lake.

Two of the three people, Manuel O’Shea, 25, of Methuen, and Willie Golston, 21, of South Boston, both appeared in court on Tuesday via a video feed from the Kennebec County jail in Augusta.

Prosecutors have filed a complaint charging O’Shea with burglary of a motor vehicle, forgery and theft. He is being held at the jail in lieu of $500 cash bail.

Golston has been charged with burglary of a motor vehicle and theft. He’s being held in lieu of $1,000 unsecured bail.

Both O’Shea and Golston pleaded not guilty to those charges.

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The third person to be arrested, Ashlee Suzor, 25, of Methuen, was charged with forgery. Suzor did not appear in court on Tuesday, and jail employees did not immediately respond to a phone call seeking information about her status.

All of the charges are misdemeanors.

The three people, who police said were visiting a friend in the area, took a credit card, change and sunglasses from the vehicles, McCausland said.

Then, they allegedly used the credit card at a pair of businesses in China: the China Dine-ah restaurant on Lakeview Drive and at the Circle K convenience store and gas station at the head of China Lake.

On Sunday, Maine State Police arrested the three and brought them to jail in Augusta.

Officers made their arrests based on several factors, including interviews with the suspects and footage from various surveillance cameras, Maine State Police said in a probable cause affidavit available at the Capital Judicial Center.

The footage allegedly shows O’Shea trying to enter a locked car and using the stolen credit card at the China Dine-ah, police said. Another video allegedly shows both O’Shea and Suzor using the same credit card at the Circle K.

In an interview with police, Golston allegedly said that he was providing “protection” while O’Shea entered the cars.

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