Three suspects were arrested for robbery following a high-speed chase after they tied up and assaulted a Pembroke man in his home early Sunday morning, April 18. Joshua Carter, 31, of Eastport, Tabitha Carroll, 28, of Pleasant Point and Edward Sockabasin, 39, of Pleasant Point were arrested after their truck was stopped in Perry when police used a spike mat to disable the vehicle.
     The police had been alerted at 6:28 a.m. when a woman called the Washington County Regional Communications Center stating that a robbery had just occurred at her home in Pembroke. When Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived, she stated that three people had broken into the house, tied up a male in the home and assaulted him with a bat. They tried to tie her up as well, but she was able to flee. The intruders took a large amount of cash, her cell phone and the keys to her car and fled the residence on foot. She stated that she recognized the intruders, and information concerning the suspects was relayed to area law enforcement agencies.
     Shortly after 7 a.m. a deputy located the suspects' truck on the Ox Cove Road in Pembroke and attempted to stop the vehicle. The truck failed to stop for the deputy, despite the use of his siren and blue lights. The deputy pursued the truck onto Route 1 and across several secondary roads, with speeds sometimes more than 30 mph over the posted limit. Several attempts were made to have deputies and assisting law enforcement officers deploy a spike mat to disable the truck. Finally a deputy set out a spike mat at Patterson's corner in Perry, at the northern intersection of Route 1 and the Shore Road, which flattened the truck's two front tires, and the pursuit ended moments later at 7:35 a.m.
     Two of the suspects, Carter and Carroll, were transported to the Washington County Jail, while Sockabasin was taken to the Calais Regional Hospital after he complained of pain. He was released a short time later and taken to the jail. The male victim from Pembroke did not require medical attention.
     Over the course of the investigation, sheriff's office deputies recovered nearly $7,000 in cash, the victim's car keys and a small amount of suspected cocaine and cocaine base, commonly referred to as "crack."
     Of the home invasion, Washington County Chief Deputy Michael Crabtree comments, "In today's day and age, we're seeing more of these crimes and violent crimes. A lot of these do center around drug crimes." He adds, "Washington County is not immune to violent crime. The new twist is the frequency this is happening. We never used to see robberies of stores or bank robberies." There have also been a number of drug-related homicides in recent years. "It's a changing world," he notes.
     All three suspects were arraigned on April 20 and were held on $35,000 cash bail. Their next court appearance is scheduled for June 29 in Calais District Court. The investigation is continuing, and more charges are likely.
     The sheriff's office was assisted by the Pleasant Point Police Department, the Baileyville Police Department, the Calais Police Department, the Maine Warden Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection's K-9 unit.