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Thieves Use Car To Smash Through Concrete Wall Of Gun Shop
POSTED: 6:16 am EDT July 18,
2008
UPDATED: 2:06 pm EDT July 18,
2008
ORANGE COUNY, Fla. -- Thieves targeted an Orange County gun shop for the second time in a week. This time they used a vehicle to break into Riegs Gun Shop on Orange Blossom Trail (see map). Investigators don't want to release how many guns were stolen.
SLIDESHOW: Images From The Scene
VIDEO: Gun Shop Targeted By Thieves For Second Time In One Week
A construction crews was out at the store Friday morning trying to repair the hole. The driver had to be going fast when the car crashed and actually broke through the concrete. Thieves used a blue Chevy Malibu to crash through the concrete building and into the gun shop showroom.The alarm at the store went off around 4:30 Friday morning. Orange County deputies said they arrived at the store within minutes. The thieves had already crashed again into a ditch behind the gun shop with a pile of concrete blocks weighing down the back of the car. Investigators believe they either had a getaway car waiting or even carried the guns away on foot.Riegs is mainly a training facility, but they're also known for selling everything from rifles to small handguns."It doesn't matter if it's a long gun or a handgun. A gun is a gun," said store owner Eileen Riegs. "It makes me angry."Riegs just upgraded security at the gun shop following an ambush July 9 when five gunmen stormed in and tried to rob an employee. The employee was prepared and he pulled a gun and fired several shots to scare them. (Surveillance Of Previous Attempt) All but one was arrested and investigators don't know if he was involved in the latest burglary, but they are scrambling to find whoever is."Our biggest concern is that these guns are on the streets. They could be used against citizens, police officers," said Spike Hopkins, Orange County Sheriff's Office.Deputies said they are going to log the serial numbers of the guns stolen. Those numbers will go in a computer system the sheriff's office uses to try to track down stolen guns.Crews at the store expect to have the hole repaired by the end of the day.
SLIDESHOW: Images From The SceneVIDEO: Gun Shop Targeted By Thieves For Second Time In One WeekA construction crews was out at the store Friday morning trying to repair the hole. The driver had to be going fast when the car crashed and actually broke through the concrete. Thieves used a blue Chevy Malibu to crash through the concrete building and into the gun shop showroom.The alarm at the store went off around 4:30 Friday morning. Orange County deputies said they arrived at the store within minutes. The thieves had already crashed again into a ditch behind the gun shop with a pile of concrete blocks weighing down the back of the car. Investigators believe they either had a getaway car waiting or even carried the guns away on foot.Riegs is mainly a training facility, but they're also known for selling everything from rifles to small handguns."It doesn't matter if it's a long gun or a handgun. A gun is a gun," said store owner Eileen Riegs. "It makes me angry."Riegs just upgraded security at the gun shop following an ambush July 9 when five gunmen stormed in and tried to rob an employee. The employee was prepared and he pulled a gun and fired several shots to scare them. (Surveillance Of Previous Attempt) All but one was arrested and investigators don't know if he was involved in the latest burglary, but they are scrambling to find whoever is."Our biggest concern is that these guns are on the streets. They could be used against citizens, police officers," said Spike Hopkins, Orange County Sheriff's Office.Deputies said they are going to log the serial numbers of the guns stolen. Those numbers will go in a computer system the sheriff's office uses to try to track down stolen guns.Crews at the store expect to have the hole repaired by the end of the day.
Previous Stories:
- July 10, 2008: CAUGHT ON VIDEO: Gun Shop Clerk Fires At Robbers
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