MEXICO — Three local residents were arrested Monday morning on charges of stealing a firearm from a home, Police Chief Roy Hodsdon said Tuesday afternoon.

Hodsdon said a resident reported the firearm stolen at 2 a.m.

“Officer Caroline Casey investigated the case and began gathering suspects very quickly,” Hodsdon said. “The victim said that a group of individuals had been at their house earlier in the evening, and as a result, she was able to narrow down the list of people.”

Hodsdon said that after gathering further information, police arrested Abdalla Mohamed, 31, of Carlton Avenue; Austin McAlister, 21, of Harlow Hill Road; and Nicole Belskis, 31, of Chase Avenue.

Mohamed was arrested on charges of possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

McAlister was arrested on a charge of theft by unauthorized taking of a firearm, while Belskis was arrested on a violation of bail charge.

All three were taken to Oxford County Jail in Paris, Hodsdon said.

Hodsdon said the investigation and arrests were made in conjunction with the Rumford Police Department, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office and the Maine State Police.

“A lot of the local agencies worked together to get everything in place,” Hodsdon said. “We’re glad we were able to locate the firearm, too. Oftentimes, in cases like these, we aren’t always able to recover the firearm.”

mdaigle@sunmediagroup.net

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