Police in Fort Collins on Wednesday arrested a second man in connection with the theft of two AR-15 rifles taken from patrol cars last month.
Wesley Aaron Sartin, 27, of Denver, faces a charge of first-degree criminal trespass in the case.
Carlos Javier Chavez, 27, on suspicion of first-degree criminal trespass and theft.
The two men are accused of breaking into marked police cars, which were parked alongside two separate officers’ homes, on the night of Oct. 24 and stealing the rifles.
The officers discovered the rifles were missing the morning after they were taken.
Both weapons were stolen “in a neighborhood in the northeast part of Fort Collins. Taken from each locked vehicle was an agency issued patrol rifle,” police said. The rifles were secured by rifle locks inside the passenger compartments of the vehicles.
Police, who are reviewing the rifle lock system installed in their vehicles, say they found both firearms near Fairplay, about 85 miles west of Denver.
Authorities say they are continuing to investigate the thefts.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
Staff writer Tom McGhee contributed to this report.
