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Stolen guns recovered after break-in

Courtesy Photo Thieves whom police say broke into an Alpena business and stole 49 guns are shown in this video surveillance footage still.

ALPENA — Almost all of the 49 guns stolen from an Alpena gun shop were recovered when Michigan State Police interviewed two men and a 16-year-old in conjunction with a break-in on Nov. 21.

The men — a 20-year-old from Alpena and a 19-year-old from Brimley — along with the juvenile male were confronted by police at homes on Sheridan Street and Long Rapids Road, where police found the stash of guns, police said. Police did not share the men’s identities.

Other stolen property was found, as well. The three are suspected to be responsible for other break-ins in the Alpena area, according to police.

Nearly 50 firearms were stolen from the Full Bore Firearms store in Alpena. The thieves, wearing Halloween masks, were captured on video surveillance footage throwing a brick through the front window, police said.

A $5,000 reward was offered for tips leading to the arrest of the thieves.

Suzanne Dabkowski, spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, declined to say whether any tips had been shared in pursuing the case.

The vast majority of the stolen weapons were recovered, though not all, Dabkowski said.

The bureau considers the nearly complete recovery a success and a relief, Dabkowski said, because most such robberies are conducted for the purpose of enacting violent behavior. Finding most of the weapons in one place was “an extremely positive thing,” she said.

Though the robbery was a federal crime — because the guns were stolen from a federally licensed firearms dealer — arrests and followup regarding other possible thefts fall under the jurisdiction of state police.

Michigan State Police District 7 spokesman Derrick Carroll said no arrests have been made in the case. The investigation is ongoing, and police will submit a report to the prosecutor for possible prosecution once all the facts are known, Carroll said.

This story was updated on Dec. 4 to reflect that no arrests have been made in the case.

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