Watsonville Gun Shop Burglary: Police Seek Suspects

WATSONVILLE, CA — A burglary at Markley's Indoor Range and Gun Shop in Watsonville early Wednesday morning resulted in the theft of an unknown number of firearms and the closure of a street for several hours, Watsonville police said. At about 5:40 a.m., a burglary alarm was activated at the business. Officers arrived along with the store's owner, who opened secured doors for officers, revealing a broken display case with handguns missing.

At the same time, officers noticed a suspicious van parked along the side of the building, which officers learned had been stolen from the Aptos area earlier that morning. Because of the van's presence and the officer's quick response to the alarm, police couldn't rule out that the suspects had left the building,
which was full of weapons and ammunition.

Police then decided to surround the building and search it until it could be determined the suspects were not there. Santa Cruz police assisted Watsonville police, aiding them with a Bearcat armored vehicle response and their emergency response unit.

By about 4:30 p.m., the search was complete. However, Blanca Lane between Freedom Boulevard and Vic Rugh Lane, didn't reopen until about 8 p.m., after having been initially closed at about 7 a.m. Watsonville Police Sgt. Michael Ridgway couldn't disclose how the suspects entered the store. He said the store is examining its full stock before saying how many guns were stolen.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Watsonville police at (831) 768-3350 or the crime tip line at (831) 768-3544.

By Bay City News

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