Two suspects allegedly crashed a stolen vehicle into a gun store, Cave Creek Guns, shortly after 12:30 a.m. on Friday in Phoenix, Arizona, and took away a .308 rifle.
According to a report by Arizona’s Family, the police responded to a burglary alarm at the store in a strip mall near Cave Creek and Utopia roads. The store owner, George Urmston, revealed that one of the two suspects got out of the stolen car before the driver crashed into the storefront.
Upon impact, the driver reportedly tried to reverse, but due to the weight of the debris, he failed to move the car. At that moment, the other suspect entered the store and stole the semi-automatic .308 rifle. The two managed to escape before the police arrived.
The break-in was captured on CCTV. The front of the gun store has been severely damaged due to the impact, shattering the glass and the exterior frame.
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It seemed that fleeing in the car after committing the theft was part of their plan since one suspect tried reversing the vehicle. But with the car stuck inside the store, they had no option but to leave it there.
High Demand for Guns Among Drug Cartels
Was this a deliberate attempt to steal that particular rifle? Or were the suspects in search of any weapon they could get their hands on?
Urmston said that he has turned away customers buying firearms for somebody else, and admitted that drug cartels inquire about guns regularly.
Urmston expressed that he had never faced such a situation before. However, he was thankful that the thieves escaped with just one rifle. He said:
“To be honest with you, the best part, I guess, a blessing in disguise is that they only got one gun. But as a gun store owner, we are the last line of defense from the guns getting into the hands of the bad people, and we’re very diligent on making sure that doesn’t happen.”
The car crashed into the store and hit the statue of a U.S. soldier holding the American flag. Fortunately, the statue was not damaged. Urmston said:
“My wife gave him to me eight years ago as a gift. He holds a flag. The car went in and hit him, and he ended up across the store, and he doesn’t have a scratch on him. So, that’s a testament to the resolve of the American people in the U.S. over there.”
