Surveillance video from Fallbrook Guns & Ammo and Chaparral Coin and Gun in Murrieta shows the M.O. of how the ATF says members of an organized crime ring broke into gun stores across Southern California, including here in San Diego County.
Video at Chaparral Coin and Gun shows at least four crooks using a stolen car to reverse into the front of the store. On the second try they broke through, then raced in. According to the ATF, they stole 43 guns from the store in about two minutes.
Co-owner John Guerts’s immediate concern was the threat to public safety.
“Those guns are going to be sold illicitly and, you know, they may be used in murders and, you know, activities that, you know, endanger public safety,"
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According to the criminal complaint, the stolen guns were sold on the black market.
Six men, four of them teenagers, appeared in court in connection with the crimes, for the first time late Tuesday afternoon.
They’re charged with going on a 9-month, gun store, burglary spree—attempting to burglarize or burglarize nine stores across five southern California counties that included Ventura, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and three stores in San Diego county.
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The complaint says 78 guns were stolen from "Poway Weapons and Gear " back in March. Noting that some of them were found in the hands of people in known gang and drug areas in Los Angeles County.
The crew is also accused of stealing 33 guns from "Firearms Unknown" in Oceanside, just last month.
Four days before Firearms Unknown was hit, surveillance video from "Fallbrook Guns and Ammo” shows what federal officials say is the same crew, trying, but unable to break into the Fallbrook store.
General manager Tony Williams says after, they sent out a warning to other shops.
“We try our best we stay connected. Communication is key. Suspicious people, activities, stuff like that, because you know, we don't want guns in the wrong hands, so I hope they get caught."
Agents say they used cell phone tracking, which included pictures of the stolen guns from "Poway Weapons and Gear” and other stores, as well as social media posts from the men, to tie them to the burglaries.
“Fallbrook Guns and Ammo, “like other stores, say they've since increased video surveillance and lock up all their guns at night.
“I hope they get what's coming to them as far as the sentence goes and not a slap on the wrist," said Williams.
The burglars face up to ten years in prison if convicted.
