Masked men forced their way into two Portland homes at gunpoint, police say

PORTLAND, Maine — Two masked men forced their way into Portland homes at gunpoint Sunday, city police said.

According to a Portland Police Department announcement issued Monday, the suspects, dressed in dark clothing and wearing masks, first approached a woman standing outside of 218 Park Ave. at 5 a.m. Sunday morning. One of the men struck the woman in the head with the gun before kicking in an apartment door at the building, moving on to steal what police describe as “several electronic devices” from the unit before fleeing.

The woman was reportedly treated at Maine Medical Center for head injuries that were not considered life-threatening, police said.

Approximately five hours later, two men matching the description of the suspects in the earlier crime allegedly forced their way into an apartment at 223 Cumberland Ave., where the masked men stole money and more electronic devices while keeping the occupants at bay with a handgun.

“Witnesses at the scene saw the suspects flee in a small, gray, two-door car,” the police department release states, in part. “No injuries were reported in this [second] incident. Detectives are conducting follow-up investigations in an attempt to determine if the two home invasion robberies are connected.”

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the crimes to call the department’s detective bureau at 874-8533.