30 handguns stolen from Fresno County gun store

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- According to Fresno County Sheriff's, 30 handguns were stolen from American Firearms in Fresno County.

The gun store closed for business at 6 p.m. Monday night and on Tuesday morning the owners showed up to an alarming scene.

Federal investigators have joined in the investigation to try to track down the thief.

The burglar definitely had a plan and executed it without a hitch.

The suspect was there for just a few minutes and got away with $12,000 worth of handguns.

American Firearms wasn't packed with customers Tuesday, it was filled with deputies and crime scene processors.

The somewhat elaborate crime began early in the morning when investigators say a burglar scaled the gun store and entered through the roof. The thief then disarmed the security system to avoid an alarm trip.

"There's a lot of grey areas in this right now, so we'll really lean on the public," Tony Botti with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said. "If you know anything, if you hear any chatter out on the street to give us a call right away so we can solve this case."

The burglars quick moves may have not alerted deputies right away, but they left evidence on surveillance cameras inside the business.

The stores owners discovered the break-in when they showed up Tuesday morning. But the unusual part was there was no sign of forced entry.

"Obviously, they are in disbelief," Botti said. "It's tough for them to lose product and know the ramifications of what it could mean now having guns out on the street now. But they are very cooperative with us."

Kelly Cope lives steps away from the gun store. She usually keeps tabs on what's going on in the area.

"I figured they parked in the alley went up, cut a hole," Cope said. "Now this is what gets me- we should have heard it. Because he used an electric saw to cut the hole, cut the roof. It's a big hole. It's not a little one is what they are telling me."

Investigators are checking with other businesses nearby for any other surveillance video that may show a suspect coming or going.

The nearby barber shop also had a window broken out last night. It's unknown if that's related.

Deputies are not ready to release a suspect description.

The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms is involved documenting the serial numbers and makes of all the missing guns.