ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — Four thieves are reportedly on the loose after a brazen don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it gun store burglary in Zephyrhills, Florida.
The four struck early Sunday, using a stolen truck from Pinellas County to obliterate the entrance of the Sunshine State Armory, police said. Incredible surveillance video shows thieves piling in behind the truck, smashing glass cabinets and stealing guns from the store. Police said the incident took all of 31 seconds.
The thieves then drove the stolen truck about a mile away from the crime, setting fire to it aside some railroad tracks alongside a mobile home park, and presumably switching cars, police said.
Sunshine State Armory Armed Burglarly 4-9-2017We are asking for the public's help to solve this armed burglary. On 4/9/17 at 2:15 a.m., the Zephyrhills Police Department responded to Sunshine State Armory at 5406 Gall Blvd in reference to an alarm call. When officers arrived on scene, it was determined that a vehicle drove through the front of the building to gain entry where an unknown amount of firearms and ammunition were stolen. The vehicle was accompanied by 3 subjects who fled the scene. The suspect vehicle was later recovered by Pasco Sheriff's Office where it was set on fire in a wooded area of 6th Avenue and Airport Rd in Zephyrhills. ZPD detectives responded as well as the Pasco County Forensics Unit. Please contact the Zephyrhills Police Department at (813) 780-0050 with any information. The Zephyrhills Police Department is currently investigating this case with the assistance of the ATF Tampa Field Office. There is currently a $2,500 reward being offered by the ATF for information leading to the arrests of the suspects involved in this crime.
Posted by Zephyrhills Police Department on Monday, April 10, 2017
The thieves left ammunition in the truck, which went off as the fire spread, police said. Fire crews had to wait for the fire to go out before securing the scene, and one witness interviewed by WFTS said the fire and ammunition going off reminded him "of Vietnam."
Police are offering a $2,500 reward to anyone with information about the crime. Guns from similar burglaries – many of which happened in the Tampa Bay area – have turned up at murder scenes and other crimes. Police have not released information about how many guns were taken.
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