Authorities are trying to locate the person who broke into a parked Maine State Police cruiser and stole two firearms earlier this month in Oxford County.

Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said the thief stole a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun and a state police-issued AR-15 rifle from a cruiser assigned to Trooper Jonathan Russell. The AR-15 is a semi-automatic assault-style rifle.

The method of entry remains under investigation. McCausland said Tuesday night he did not know if the doors were locked. The theft occurred during the overnight hours of June 16 while the vehicle was parked in the driveway of Russell’s home in Norway. Russell immediately reported the burglary.

The handgun was recently recovered during a burglary investigation, but the whereabouts of the rifle are unknown.

Anyone with information about the burglary is urged to contact state police at 624-7076. Russell is a member of Trooper B in Gray.


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