Prineville man, 11-year-old boy charged in theft of handgun from store
Security video caught incident, led to traffic stop, raid on home
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A 33-year-old Prineville man and 11-year-old boy face theft charges, accused of stealing a handgun from a Prineville store, police said Thursday.
The unidentified business reported the theft of a 9mm Glock pistol shortly after 1 p.m. Monday, Capt. Larry Seymour said, adding that the crime and suspects’ departure were captured on video surveillance.
Officer Daniel Pelayo determined the identity of both subjects, the car they left in and where they lived, Seymour said.
The video showed the two enter the store and the boy grabbing the pistol, sticking it in his waistband and covering it up. Seymour said it appeared the two worked together to steal the gun, then left and apparently stowed the gun in the car, which also was occupied by a woman, later identified as the boy's mother.
The man then took his own .22 rifle from the vehicle and went back into the store, along with the boy, ask a quick question about the rifle and both leave, Seymour said.
An investigation determined the man was not allowed to possess a firearm due to a previous misdemeanor case and court order.
Investigators also learned the boy had just recently arrived in Crook County, starting school this week.
A search warrant was granted for the man’s car and home on Colby Springs Road, and the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team was requested as surveillance was conducted.
Shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday, Prineville police pulled over the suspect’s car near the intersection of Paulina Highway and Conant Basin Road, where the boy and his mother were detained.
Shortly afterward, the home was raided and the adult male suspect was arrested without incident. The pistol, rifle, ammunition and drug paraphernalia were seized at the home.
The man was lodged at the Crook County Jail on charges of first-degree theft and unlawful possession of a firearm. The 11-year-old was cited on a first-degree theft charge and taken to the state Department of Human Services.
