FARMINGTON — Police say they arrested two men Monday in connection with three local burglaries following a foot-chase near Mt. Blue High School. A third arrest is expected as police search for a suspect Tuesday.

Handguns, money and other items were taken from each of the homes, Farmington Police Chief Jack Peck said.

Kevin S. Crandall, 27, of Wilton and Marcus A. Thompson, 26, of Farmington were arrested Monday night after police investigated a suspicious vehicle abandoned in a field across from Knowlton Corner Farm at the intersection of Knowlton Corner Road and Seamon Road. The blue car, missing a hubcap, fitted the description of one seen at the site of a burglary, he said.

During a closer inspection of the vehicle by Franklin County Sheriff Department Deputies Christopher Chase and Matthew Brann, detectives could see in plain view items stolen from the homes, but no one was around, Peck said.

The officers called in Cpl. Nathan Bean and his canine officer and started tracking when the two men jumped out the woods and started running up Seamon Road towards the high school. The three officers chased and arrested them behind the school, he said.

A homeowner at Hilltop Estates, off the Knowlton Corner Road, called police at 4:17 p.m. when he came home and found someone had broken in and stolen money, debit cards and a Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun, Peck said.

Farmington’s Sgt. Michael Adcock spoke with neighbors. One remembered a blue car with two or three males in it parked at the home near the time the burglary was reported.

A second burglary on Dutch Gap Road in Chesterville was then reported at 6:20 p.m.  Deputies Chase and Brann met with the homeowner who said some money and another handgun, a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, was missing.

The deputies found two sets of sneaker prints in the snow, Peck said.

Farmington’s Sgt. Adcock then was called to a home burglary on the Lucy Knowles Road at 7:15 p.m. where the homeowner discovered a handgun, a Ruger .3507, missing along with several electronics including an iPod, a Playstation 3, an Xbox, digital cameras, and cash.

While police were dealing with the burglaries, the abandoned car was reported at 7:26 p.m., Peck said. Peck wasn’t sure whether it went off the road, broke down or why it was left in the field with all the items including the handguns still in the vehicle. The owner of the vehicle later reported it was stolen, he said.

All items stolen from the three homes were recovered.

Police believe the burglaries were random, as the homeowners are not familiar with the men arrested, he said. They coincidentally selected homes where the owners kept guns.

The suspects forced their way in to all three homes, located within a short distance to each other, Peck said.

More charges are expected. Police are looking for a third man Tuesday. Police will issue an arrest warrant if he isn’t found, Peck said.

abryant@sunjournal.com