SPRINGFIELD – Thieves who broke into a Sixteen Acres house Thanksgiving Day stole 15 guns by lugging away the 500-pound household gun safe that securely contained them, police said.
Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William Fitchet, said the resident returned to his Marmon Street home Thursday to discover the break it and reported it to police.
The guns were locked securely inside the safe, Delaney said, but the safe itself was not anchored in place. When the robbers could not open the safe inside the house, they picked it up and carried it out of the house, he said.
“The safe probably weighed about 500 pounds, fully loaded, with the weapons he had in it,” Delaney said.
Because of the weight involved, police believe at least two people were involved, Delaney said.
The safe was later found, broken open and stripped of any weapons or ammunition, he said.
Detectives are investigating the safe to see who took it, but a bigger concern is the 15 guns that are missing, he said. They included various rifles and semi-automatic handguns, he said.
The guns will likely be sold on through underground gun markets and end up "getting into the hands of the wrong people," he said.
Many weapons that unlawfully make their way into the hands of criminals were originally stolen in burglaries, he said.
In addition to the gun safe, the homeowner also reported the thieves took some jewelry and other items.
People with information are asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355. Those who wish to remain anonymous may text a tip via a cell phone by addressing a text message to “CRIMES,” or “274637,” and then beginning the body of the message with the word “SOLVE.”