COLUMBUS — A dangerous problem is impacting multiple communities in central Indiana: guns being stolen right out of vehicles.
Tamara Watson, a certified firearms instructor for Indiana State Police, said she had her duty gun stolen from her undercover cop car in 2013.
“I got this terrible sick feeling of 'I hope they didn’t pop the trunk,'” Watson said. “We never did recover my firearm."
Columbus Police Lt. Matt Harris said the department tracked five firearm thefts in the past couple of weeks.
“The trial hasn’t started yet but last summer we had an officer exchange gunfire with a suspect who was reported as a prowler and it was later determined that the firearm used in that crime was stolen from an unlocked vehicle from Columbus,” Harris said.
Harris said many times that these thefts occur when the car doors are unlocked.
Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says 59 guns have been stolen from cars downtown this year alone.
Those numbers have officers concerned.
“These weapons end up in the hands of people who are legally allowed to have firearms oftentimes,” Harris said.
-
IU fans brave freezing temps to celebrate national championship
Indiana University football fans braved cold temperatures Saturday to celebrate the Hoosiers' historic national championship season at a rally in Bloomington.
Gov. Braun issues statewide emergency declaration for Winter Storm
Indiana Governor Mike Braun issued an emergency declaration for Indiana and received federal approval to address the winter storm.
42-year-old man dies in I-65 crash in Johnson County
A 42-year-old man died in a single-vehicle crash Saturday morning on Interstate 65 in Johnson County.
AES Indiana suspends disconnections due to Winter Storm Fern
AES Indiana announced it's temporarily suspending disconnections for nonpayment through the rest of January due to extreme cold temperatures from Winter Storm Fern.
