2 kids accused of stealing 22 guns from firearms store

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) - Police say two brothers, ages 14 and 11, have been arrested for stealing nearly two dozen guns and ammunition from a Florida firearms dealer.

The two brothers face many charges, including 22 counts of grand theft of a firearm after Cape Coral Police say they broke into the Guns 4 Less store. They say the two initially tried to cut power to the building.

“How did these young boys learn to even attempt to cut the power to a building? Most people aren’t going to know that,” said WINK News Safety and Security Specialist Rich Kolko.

Once inside, investigators say the suspects ransacked the store, smashing display cases and stealing 22 guns, ammo and other items.

The stolen items were later recovered, but police say the investigation is far from over.

“The repercussions of these young boys having that many weapons with ammunition, it’s hard to even measure at this point,” Kolko said. “What were they going to do with these weapons at the end of the day?”

Investigators say the 14-year-old was already on probation for another crime. It stems from an incident last year at a Lee County gas station, where the teen allegedly threatened a cashier with a hammer as he and another boy stole e-cigarettes.

According to police, the 14-year-old was also responsible for an incident last year, where he and another boy smashed the front door of a Lee County pawn shop. They are now looking into whether the boys are connected to other burglaries in the area.

“There’s going to have to be some intervention here, whether it’s from a family member, from law enforcement, from the state to get them off this track,” Kolko said.

The suspects appeared in court Thursday morning. A formal arraignment has been set for July 5.

Both are forbidden from having unsupervised contact with each other and will be held in secure detention for the next 21 days.