JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Surveillance images captured a man stealing a gun out of a red pickup truck early Tuesday in the city's Cedar Hill Manor neighborhood, just off Blanding Boulevard.
The homeowner, who wished to remain anonymous, said he's now fearful that there is another gun on the streets.
"I heard the dogs barking, and I looked up and looked at my security cameras, and I seen a guy walking out from in between the vehicles," the man said.
The first car was locked, but the thief, who was seen covering his face and staring into the security camera, was able to get into the man's red pickup truck.
"He took a small-caliber .32 revolver out of a cubbyhole stashed away," the man said.
Since May 1, within a half-mile of the man's home, there have reportedly been seven vehicle break-ins, 11 burglaries, three vehicle thefts and 22 robberies. The victim said he doesn't want his gun to help thieves.
"It bothers me because I don't want to see somebody die," the man said.
That's exactly why News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said gun owners should always lock their cars and never leave firearms in a car overnight.
The man told News4Jax that he locks his doors religiously, but this time he just forgot. He hopes someone will be able to identify the thief shown in the photo before he gets a chance to use that gun.
Anyone with information is asked to anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said guns being stolen out of cars is one of its biggest problems. That’s why the News4Jax I-TEAM looked into it last year, finding that more than 260 guns were stolen from parked cars last year alone. More than half of them were taken from vehicles that were unlocked.