By Mark LaFlamme,Staff Writer

AUBURN – In spite of a front page photo spread in the Sun Journal, two men who broke into vending machines earlier this week remained at large Thursday.

Police say few leads have developed in the days since the release of surveillance photos showing the suspects walking through the Hilton Garden Inn on Tuesday afternoon.

Police believe the pair had a key for the half-dozen vending machines that were broken into. An unknown amount of money was taken.

A hotel manager turned over video surveillance footage to police after the thefts were reported. The video clearly shows the two suspects walking away from one vending machine. In several still photos captured from the video, both men stare straight into the camera, providing clear images of their faces.

Auburn police Officer Dan Davies turned over those photographs to the newspaper on Tuesday in hopes that some readers might recognize the culprits. But by Wednesday afternoon, only one tip had been phoned in.

Police suspect the two men being sought may be from another city or state.

In Lewiston between October 2003 and May 2004, police said one man stole more than $1,000 by breaking into the cash boxes of video games, pool tables and vending machines. The man was suspected of similar heists in Augusta, Waterville, Hallowell in Windham.

When machines at Sparetime Recreation in Lewiston were broken into, police produced surveillance video from the business and began circulating the footage. The man was arrested a short time later in Waterville and charged in the thefts.

In Auburn, police ask that anyone with information about the Hilton thefts phone them at 784-7332.

Copy the Story Link