Belvidere burglaries on the heels of guns stolen from Loves Park shops
BELVIDERE — A Belvidere gun shop robbed last week was struck again Monday by burglars.
The crimes came just a few weeks after three robberies at two gun stores in Loves Park.
Several firearms were stolen Jan. 3 from BigLinny Firearms, 485 Southtowne Dr., Belvidere police said. Three people between 18 and 25 years old entered the business, where cameras captured their actions, and fled on foot before officers responded to a burglar alarm a minute before midnight at the business. The robbers were wearing masks and hooded sweatshirts.
A burglar alarm summoned police to the business again at 10:15 p.m. on Monday. Officers spotted damage to the building but determined entry was limited. Witnesses described a possible getaway vehicle as a red four-door made in the late 1990s to early 2000s. The vehicle was "boxy" in shape and had a broken passenger window and loud muffler.
No one was injured.
Belvidere police are working with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate the crimes.
Police Chief Jan Noble said Belvidere police are sharing information with the Rockford Police Department, Winnebago County Sheriff's Office and Loves Park Police Department. Noble would not say whether police think the crimes are related to December gun shop burglaries in Loves Park.
At 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 26, someone tried to break into Gilmore's Fine Firearms, 4883 Torque Drive. Another gun shop, KAP Guns, 7307 Edward Drive, Loves Park, was broken into just before 5 a.m. Dec. 27 when someone broke out a window, police said. An unknown number of guns were stolen.
On Dec. 15, burglars also broke into KAP Guns and stole multiple guns. Loves Park Police Chief Chuck Lynde said Wednesday that police believe all three of those Loves Park gun shop burglaries are related. He would not say whether police have any suspects.
KAP Guns also was broken into on May 8 when 12 handguns and rifles were stolen.
Anyone with information on the Belvidere burglaries is asked to call police at 815-544-2135 or Boone County Crime Stoppers at 815-547-7867.
Georgette Braun:815-987-1331; gbraun@rrstar.com; @GeorgetteBraun