Gun stolen from unlocked car inside gated community

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Neighbors say they aren’t surprised another car break-in happened in their gated neighborhood, they’re surprised what was stolen.

Esteban Gutierrez said, “They go from house to house and look for a car that’s unlocked.” He admits he heard about break-ins happening in his Promenade West neighborhood but never thought it would happen to him.

“I was offloading things from the car, close the door, went into the garage, did the things in the garage and then went inside the house and forgot to go back and make sure the car was locked.” Gutierrez added.

DATABASE: Search FDLE database of stolen weapons

He woke up this morning to find his handgun stolen from the middle console in his car.

“I didn’t even open the door,” Gutierrez said. “I could see through the window that they had already gone through my car, and right away I thought about the gun.”

Security footage captures the thieves going from car to car checking for unlocked doors.

He says it isn’t the first time the thieves have wandered through the neighborhood looking to steal.

Over the past few years he says eight of his neighbors have reported car break-ins.

Neighbor Fred Beyerlein said it’s easy pickings, “People leave their car in the driveway and they don’t bother to lock it up.”

As for Gutierrez, he worries about his gun being in the wrong hands, “I was angry at myself because as a gun owner we know better. We have to be responsible. We cannot put handguns in the hands of criminals and this is a crime of opportunity and I gave him the opportunity so I am mad at myself.”

Gutierrez and another neighbor have both filed police reports.

We reached out to the homeowners association for comment, but they have not yet responded by the time of publishing.

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