Arrests made in gun shop burglary spree

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — New surveillance video shows the dramatic methods used to target gun shops across Southern California, including San Diego County.

John Geurts, co-owner of Chaparral Coin and Gun in Murrieta, described the scene when thieves used a stolen car as a battering ram to break into his store.

“My heart sunk,” Geurts said. “The entire wall of my store is just busted in, and I see people scurrying around the shop just breaking glass.”

The intruders stole 43 guns valued at $30,000 and caused at least $10,000 worth of damage.

“The money is one thing, but at the same time, it’s like, what are they going to do with those guns?” Geurts said. “They’re probably going to sell them to people who will use them for illicit activities.”

Investigators say the thieves were part of an organized crime ring that targeted at least nine gun shops across Southern California over a nine-month period. They used stolen vehicles to bust through front doors at locations including stores in Oceanside and Poway.

Surveillance footage shows an attempted break-in at Fallbrook Guns and Ammo, where sales manager Walker Yorba said the brick walls prevented the thieves from getting inside.

“We are all concerned about guns getting out into the wrong hands,” Yorba said.

Yorba explained that thieves can sell guns on the black market for about twice what they cost at a gun store because buyers can bypass background checks.

“You don’t really know anybody who has a gun lying around willing to slide it under the table and not do the correct paperwork required by the state, so you got to pay extra to find somebody willing to put their neck on the line for you,” Yorba said.

This week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of six men, ages 18 to 23, after some of them posted about the crimes on social media. Investigators say the suspects stole more than 300 firearms.

“There is a lot to keeping a building secure,” Geurts noted.

Geurts and other gun shop owners are now adding more layers of security to prevent potential copycat crimes.

“It’s all about slowing them down,” Geurts said. “We added bolsters, we added more cameras, it’s going to be more instantaneous when we get alerted.”

The six men made their first court appearance this week. If convicted, they could face up to 10 years in prison.

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