The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a reported home invasion that took place Thursday in Standish.
Investigators said the break-in could be related to a similar incident that took place Friday night in nearby Gorham.
Three girls, between the ages of 10 and 17, told authorities the incident began around 3 p.m. Thursday when they noticed a man lurking in woods near their home on Chadbourne Road. Frightened by the sight of the man, the girls went inside the home and locked themselves in a bedroom. Their parents were not at home.
A short while later, the girls said they could hear footsteps inside the house. They proceeded to call their mother, who called 911 as well as a neighbor. When the neighbor arrived, the girls could hear the suspect leave the home. Deputies were unable to locate the suspect.
“Although the girls were extremely frightened by this incident, there was no confrontation with the suspect and the girls were uninjured,” the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The victims described the suspect as being in his late teens to early 20s with brown, spiked hair. He was wearing a long orange or brown sweatshirt, but the victims said they could not tell if the man was wearing shorts under the sweatshirt. He was not wearing pants.
Detectives from the sheriff’s office are also investigating a similar incident – no details were provided – that reportedly took place Friday night on Fort Hill Road in Gorham.
“The circumstances surrounding this case (Gorham) do no specifically involve children, however, police are trying to determine whether there is any connection,” the news release said.
Investigators said there is no reason to believe there is any danger to the public, but homeowners are being encouraged to remain vigilant and to report suspicious people in their neighborhoods. Police are advising parents to talk to their children about “stranger danger” situations and the steps they could take to protect themselves.
The sheriff’s office said they will notify the public if any other cases similar to the one that occurred in Standish takes place. Anyone with information about the home invasion is encouraged to call the sheriff’s office at 893-2810.
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