A Valentine’s Day vigil for a teen killed by a stolen gun renewed attention on a stubborn problem across the Gulf Coast: firearms taken from vehicles that were left unlocked.
Mobile Public Safety Director James Barber said the vast majority of guns stolen from cars — about 80 percent — come from unlocked vehicles, and only about half of owners have recorded serial numbers, making it hard to track how many are taken. Last year in Mobile, nearly 1,200 guns were stolen from vehicles.
In July, Mobile police arrested 19-year-old Marco Perez and two teenagers accused of breaking into dozens of vehicles. Perez was later named in a federal indictment for gun trafficking. In January 2019, he was charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Mobile Police Officer Sean Tuder with a stolen gun traced back to an owner who had not reported it missing.
The problem spans the region. Daphne police say car break-ins there often target guns specifically, and last year Escambia County, Florida, reported nearly 250 stolen guns, mostly from unlocked cars. Baldwin County sees dozens taken each year.
Police continue to urge residents to lock their vehicles. “The simplest and most obvious way to do that, lock your vehicle,” Barber said.