3 charged with stealing more than 70 guns from Cedar City store
CEDAR CITY, Utah (ABC4) — Three men are facing charges in connection to a burglary at a CAL Ranch location in southern Utah last month where more than 70 guns were stolen.
Two of the men — Russell Gruber, 29, and Darrell Devoge, 78 — are in custody. Authorities are still searching for Devoge’s son, 20-year-old Parker Devoge, who allegedly fled ahead of the arrest of Gruber and his father.
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The Iron County Attorney’s Office said the three men were charged Tuesday with first-degree aggravated burglary, several counts of gun theft, and property destruction.
The charges stem from a burglary late on the night of Nov. 21 at the CAL Ranch location in Cedar City. According to court documents, surveillance footage captured three men armed with handguns breaking in through the store’s back door and heading straight for the gun section in an “obvious” planned action.
In a matter of minutes, the three stole about 75 guns, ranging from pistols to rifles. Using a crowbar and a pair of box cutters, they smashed display cases and opened gun cabinets, causing an estimated $1,500 in damage.
Roughly four hours after the burglary, at least two of the men returned to the store and stole more guns, ammunition, gun optics and holsters, the court documents state. One of them had their pistol drawn, the surveillance footage showed.
In the immediate aftermath of the burglary, local and federal authorities asked for the public’s help in identifying the suspects. A break in the case came on Dec. 14, when investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received a tip that Gruber was involved.
According to the court documents, Gruber has an extensive history of theft, including a felony burglary conviction. He also has two pending cases in Iron County, and several warrants out for his arrest.
Not long after the tip came in, authorities linked Gruber’s van with surveillance footage of the suspect vehicle. They also used cell phone location records to determine he was in the area of the CAL Ranch store on the night of the burglary.
Last week, police searched a residence in Cedar City, where they found several guns that were stolen from the CAL Ranch store, the court documents state. Burglary tools were also found, as well as clothing worn by the suspects in the surveillance footage.
Neighbors told investigators that Darrel Devoge lived in the home, the court documents state. Parker Devoge, his son, was also staying there, but left roughly a week before officers executed the search warrant.
While speaking with police, Gruber admitted to being involved in the CAL Ranch burglary and told officers which one of the men on the surveillance video was Parker Devoge. He said that after the initial burglary, he convinced Parker to go back with him and steal more guns, the court documents state.
According to Cedar City police, 40 of the roughly 75 stolen guns have been recovered. Still, the case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call 435-586-2956.
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