Investigation continues in gun store break-in

by Laura Bednar

A stolen vehicle drove into Summit Armory gun store at 2417 N. Cleveland Massillon Rd. in Bath, just south of Everett Road, on Nov. 3. Bath Township Police received a call from dispatch when the store’s burglar alarm went off at 4:28 a.m., according to the police report.

Bath Police Chief Vito Sinopoli said officers left to answer the call at 4:29 a.m. with the first officer arriving on scene at 4:32 a.m. The vehicle, a Kia Optima, had driven through the front window of the store and no suspects were present. Sinopoli said the car was stolen in Cleveland, probably hours before the incident took place.

A separate, unidentified getaway car accompanied the suspects to the scene. It is likely the getaway car was stolen, according to Sinopoli, but that has not been confirmed.

The report stated, “Officers observed a glass case of guns had been smashed with a hammer that was laying on the floor.”

Summit Armory owner and Richfield resident Tim Ostrander said about 10 guns were stolen. Three suspects wearing masks and gloves were seen by the store’s security cameras. “It appears as though when the suspects crashed, they went to a particular area of the store,” said Sinopoli.

Ostrander said he suspects the incident may be gang-related, because “the kinds of people who do this steal firearms because they can’t legally purchase them.” He added that the suspects would likely try to resell the guns.

Sinopoli said perpetrators tend to scrape serial numbers off guns. However, if one of the stolen guns is found with the serial number intact, it can be traced to Summit Armory.

Total damages are $90,000, according to Ostrander. The store and the guns were insured, and he is waiting to hear from his insurance company on how much is covered. He restored much of the interior and was awaiting new glass for the windows at press time.

Ostrander plans to add more security cameras, more exterior lighting and make the building stronger. He said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is assisting Bath police in the investigation, was blown away by the quality of his cameras. Unfortunately, the foggy weather on the day of the incident blurred the pictures to some extent.

Ostrander opened the store over six years ago and said this is the first theft or break-in. Sinopoli said he has not seen a brazen incident of this nature in the community before and that no contiguous businesses were affected. No people were harmed, which is the only thing Ostrander said he cared about.

“I feel bad this happened in the community,” he said. “Not everyone likes us here, and it makes the industry look bad.” He added that he has received a lot of support from his customer base in the community.

The ATF is offering a $10,000 reward for anyone with information about the incident. Anyone with information can call the Bath police at 330-666-3736. ∞

Photo by S. Serdinak.

Featured Photo: Summit Armory at 2417 N. Cleveland Massillon Rd. used a dumpster to clean up after a vehicle smashed into the building. Photo by S. Serdinak.