Dozens of guns reported stolen in string of thefts by Kansas City entertainment districts
Dozens of firearms have been reported stolen in a string of thefts from vehicles near Kansas City’s entertainment districts, mainly Westport, police and federal agents say.
Over the weekend, officers made an arrest as they conducted surveillance into the “significant increase” of guns being stolen from parked car in the city’s entertainment districts.
At 2:15 a.m. Sunday, officers and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were in Westport when they saw a Chevrolet Impala circling. They thought it looked as if the driver was “casing” — looking for vehicles to break into.
Rayquan Pettaway, 22, and another man were seen near the Impala in a parking lot on West 40th Street, between Pennsylvania Avenue and Washington Street, police said. The two were near parked cars, “possibly on the verge of forcing entry” into them, an ATF agent wrote in court documents.
When officers converged, Pettaway got into a car and sped away, police said. Officers later found it parked near West 39th and Central streets. Pettaway was arrested following a foot chase.
Inside the car, police said they found a handgun on the floorboard of the driver’s side seat. That gun was reported stolen from a vehicle parked near 817 Westport Road hours earlier, agents said. Officers also said they saw broken glass in the car.
Pettaway was federally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Agents began conducting surveillance after learning this month of a string of thefts from vehicles. Detectives had determined the suspects were looking for firearms.
Two weeks ago, the Kansas City Police Department said its officers in the last month had started taking reports of cars being broken into Friday and Saturday nights near Westport, the Crossroads and 18th and Vine. There were also a few at the Power & Light District.
“It’s a crime of opportunity,” Sgt. Todd Templeton said in a news release at the time. “From what we can tell, they’re not rummaging through the cars looking for valuables. They’re seeing a gun in plain sight, breaking a window, taking the gun and leaving.”
Asked about the case Tuesday, ATF spokesman John Ham said the agency is not releasing the exact number of weapons reported stolen because it is an ongoing investigation.
But Ham said the ATF regularly sees a spike in weapons stolen from cars during the summer in entertainment districts that prohibit weapons, which end up unattended in cars. He urged people going out to leave their firearms secured at home.
“Stolen guns are the largest source of crime guns in Kansas City and responsible gun ownership remains our best practice in keeping firearms off of the streets,” Ham said.
