BOUNTIFUL — Two men were arrested Thursday and accused of stealing more than a dozen firearms from a Bountiful gun store.
Sateki Harold Lao, 40, and Sione Tauhi Pututau, 31, were booked into the Davis County Jail for investigation of 16 counts of theft of a firearm, burglary, possession of a weapon by a restricted person and criminal mischief.
About 5 a.m. Sunday, the men went to Bountiful Armory, 144 W. 500 South, and after “using various pry tools” for about 20 minutes, were able to break into the store, according to a police affidavit.
“They broke a display case, stole 16 firearms and ran out the back door. The store had several cameras that recorded the suspects, including their faces, shoes and clothing. They triggered the alarm, however, they were able to flee before patrol units arrived,” the affidavit states.
Using video recorded by surveillance cameras at nearby businesses, police were able to view an SUV driving away from the area. On Thursday, the Salt Lake City Gang Unit spotted the vehicle and pulled it over. Three of the stolen guns were found inside, the affidavit states.
One of the occupants was Lao. Investigators obtained a search warrant for his house and found a stolen gun case and clothing that matched what one of the burglars in the gun store robbery was wearing, according to police.
Officers found Pututau in a shed behind the house. He matched the description of the other person in the surveillance video, according to police. He also had a federal warrant out for his arrest for stealing guns from another licensed dealer, the affidavit states.
The report does not indicate whether the remaining firearms were located.