Two men are in jail today after Bismarck Police Officers arrested them for allegedly stealing from Scheels, fleeing on foot, and ditching two firearms reported stolen from motor vehicles earlier in the week.
Vincen Morales, 19, Bismarck, who is out on a personal recognizance bond from an alleged September Domestic Simple Assault, and Kyle Redtomahawk, 18, Lincoln were called in by Scheels employees on November 22, 2023, around 1:15 pm for what was described as concealing two ski masks and leaving the store without paying for them. When Bismarck Officers arrived on scene, Morales and Redtomahawk were running southbound towards Famous Daves. They were told to stop by police officers and did not. Officers caught Redtomahawk in the Famous Dave’s parking lot and Morales, allegedly wearing the stolen mask from Scheels, in the 400 block of Lansing Lane and both were taken into custody.
A witness informed officers that they saw Morales allegedly throw an item into the dumpster of Famous Daves. A check of that dumpster revealed a stolen pistol from a theft from a motor vehicle that occurred in the early morning hours of November 19, 2023. That case still has two rifles and a shotgun that have not been recovered.
Officers searched the backyard where Morales was apprehended and found a camouflage backpack, which Redtomahawk said he threw over a fence. A stolen pistol was found next to the backpack. That pistol was stolen from a motor vehicle sometime the same night as the pistol Morales allegedly ditched. No other firearms are outstanding in that case.
Both men were taken to Burleigh Morton Detention Center and held on the charges of Possession of a Stolen Firearm, Failure to Halt, Possession of Stolen Property. Morales had an additional charge of Wearing a Mask in the Commission of a Crime. Both men are awaiting their initial appearances.
There were 6 incidents of thefts from motor vehicles in which a firearm was stolen since the 17th of November. Those cases have been assigned to the investigations section and they are following up on numerous leads, stemming from this case and others. We are asking the public to ensure that they remove firearms from their vehicles when they are left unattended and lock your vehicles. Thefts from motor vehicles are often crimes of opportunity, in which criminals find unlocked cars, go through items, and steal what is valuable. We appreciate your assistance with this, as it greatly enhances the safety of our city when stolen firearms are not on the streets. We will continue to follow up on this case and bring those to justice that cause harm to our community.