Five Charged With Theft of Firearms from Southington Home

Five teenagers, including two 17-year-olds, are facing charges following the theft of four firearms, all handguns, from a Southington home earlier this month.

Detectives took three 18-year-old local residents and two 17-year-olds into custody during the past week after evidence tied them to the crime, Southington Police Sgt. Jeffrey Dobratz said Thursday. All five are facing charges including larceny.

Police began investigating the thefts after a relative called police with concerns that they had just discovered a handgun under the juvenile's bed.

"The investigation revealed that the two juveniles and Palmer were at a residence in Southington when they discovered guns being stored in a locked closet," Dobratz said. "They took four handguns and ammunition from the residence and for approximately one week, they stored the guns at different residences."

Let Patch save you time. Get stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone every day with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here.

After stealing the guns, the two juveniles proceeded to use them in a wooded area on the west side of town, according to a police report, causing damage to a tree.

Police later learned that as the investigation was continuing, they gave one of the guns to Perry Sharp, 18, of 48 Minthal Drive in Southington. The gun was discovered during a traffic stop, police said.

Two others were given to Jeremy Reilly, 18, of 214 Arch St. in New Britain, according to a police report. The guns were subsequently discovered during the execution of a search warrant earlier this month, the report said.

"All of the stolen guns and nearly 100 rounds of ammunition have been recovered by the Southington Police Department," Dobratz said. "No further arrests are expected at this time."

In addition to the firearms theft, police said one of the juveniles was in possession of pre-packaged marijuana that was discovered while serving a search warrant in the case.

The following are facing charges in relation to the case:

Juvenile #1, 17, of Southington was charged with four counts of larceny of a firearm, four counts of conspiracy to commit theft of a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm, two counts of illegal transfer of a firearm to a person under 21, carrying a pistol without a permit, fourth-degree larceny, possession of marijuana and possession with the intent to sell.

Juvenile #2, 17, of Southington, was charged with four counts of larceny of a firearm, four counts of conspiracy to commit theft of a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm, illegal transfer of a firearm to a person under 21 ad fourth-degree larceny.

Brooke Palmer, 18, of 392 Berlin St. in Southington, was charged with four counts of conspiracy to commit theft of a firearm, criminal liability for acts of another in the theft of a firearm and first-degree reckless endangerment.

Jeremy Reilly, 18, of 214 Arch St. in New Britain, was charged with improper storage of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit and two counts of sixth-degree larceny.

Perry Sharp, 18, of 48 Minthal Drive in Southington, was charged with possession of weapons in a motor vehicle and fifth-degree larceny.

The three 18-year-olds have since been released after posting bond, according to court records. Police said the two juveniles were transferred to a state juvenile detention center.

Make sure to like Southington Patch on Facebook and follow on Twitter for breaking news, daily updates and more!