PALATKA, Fla. – Three teenagers were arrested early Friday shortly after six guns were stolen from a gun shore in Palatka.
Before dawn, police officers responding to a burglar alarm at Great Guns located at 713 St. Johns Avenue found the back door broken open and a 16-year-old suspect attempting to hide inside the business.
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Officer Sean Tuder learned two others were involved in the burglary and police set up a perimeter. A 14-year-old was captured nearby, but a third suspect, identified 18-year-old Ronald Joseph King Jr., was not located at the scene.
King was located later Friday morning and all three were charged with armed burglary to a business, felony criminal mischief and grand theft. He was booked into the Putnam County Jail.
The two juveniles whose names are not being used were detained by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice authorities.
Outside the business officers recovered six weapons: a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun, a Sig Sauer .380=caliber handgun, a Colt .38-caliber handgun, Remington .45-caliber handgun, H&K .380-caliber handgun and a SKS rifle.
Police said $1,425 in damage was done to the building and other property.
"I find this shocking that school-age children are allowed out or unsupervised to the extent that they are out at this time of night and committing these types of crimes, arming themselves with dangerous weapons," said Palatka Police Chief Gary Getchell. "These are the type of situations that can escalate to the point where persons armed either do harm to officers or officers are forced to defend themselves. I feel it is time that parents stand up and do their part to properly govern their children. In light of this incident and other incidents involving juveniles over the past few months, the Palatka Police Department will be researching the possibility of implementing a more stringent curfew ordinance."