View Paris Hill Road in a larger map

PARIS — Several law enforcement agencies are searching for two people believed to have burglarized a home in Oxford and taken a 9mm handgun and ammunition.

According to Paris Police Chief David Verrier, two suspects robbed a home on Robinson Hill Road before fleeing in a van. A neighbor called the police when he saw two people loading items from the home into the vehicle.

Police began searching for the van and officers saw it in Paris and began to chase it. The van crashed into a tree at the corner of Paris Hill Road and Hooper Ledge Road. The suspects fled across a nearby yard and into the woods.

Lt. Michael Ward of the Oxford Police Department said he identified items in the crashed van as belonging to the homeowner based on her description.

Ward credited Oxford County dispatchers with helping police coordinate and locate the van.

One of the suspects is Scott Bowie, 35, Verrier said. The gender of the other suspect is unknown, he said.

Tracking dogs from the Maine Warden Service and the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office tracked the suspects. Police said they believe the suspects ran into the nature preserve nearby.

According to James Miclon of the Regional Communication Center, the county is notifying residents in the area to call the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department at 207-743-9554 if they see two people on foot nearby. One is wearing a red or orange shirt, he said.

Verrier confirmed that the pair are likely armed, as a 9mm handgun and ammunition are missing from the house.

Verrier said that in addition to the Paris, Oxford and Norway police departments, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, the Maine State Police, the Warden Service and the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office were involved in the search.

Copy the Story Link