The search for the suspect — or suspects —that broke into Goodland Guns on Hollister Avenue and stole nearly a dozen weapons intensified as authorities announced a $10,000 reward for information that could lead to an arrest.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office, is conducting the investigation of the gun shop, which is a federal firearms licensee. The burglary occurred sometime between July and August, according to a statement from Los Angeles ATF Public Information Officer Ginger Colbrun, and was reported to Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office detectives on August 12, where authorities found a hole near the roof of the building that those responsible most likely used to scale the wall and gain entry. 

“The suspect(s) gained entry by cutting a hole into the wall of the business and then stole five pistols, four shotguns, and two rifles,” said Colbrun.


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Credit: Courtesy

$5,000 of the reward is offered up by ATF’s Los Angeles Field Division, with the other $5,000 coming from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and the two agencies are looking for any information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the planning and execution of the burglary.

The reward is part of a larger national cooperative initiative between the agencies, in which NSSF matches ATF’s reward in cases involving the theft of firearms from federally licensed firearms retailers. The NSSF is the trade association for the firearms industry, while ATF works to curb the criminal acquisition and misuse of firearms.

Anyone with  information about this crime should contact the Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Bureau at (805) 681-4150, the anonymous tip line at (805) 681-4171, or submit information online at sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip. Persons with detailed information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) will be eligible to receive the full reward.

For more information, follow ATF on Twitter and Instagram @LosAngelesATF


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