Man arrested for theft of 16 firearms from U.S. Army Reserve


Police have arrested a man who they believe stole more than a dozen firearms from the Army Reserve in Worcester, Massachusetts.

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Police believe James W. Morales, 34, stole six rifles and 10 handguns from the armory on Saturday around 11 p.m.

Morales has been charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun, unlawful possession of stolen firearms and theft of government property.

According to an affidavit, Morales broke into a window in the kitchen of the training facility then climbed on top of the vault where the weapons were stored and cut a hole through the ceiling, My Fox Boston reports.

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The FBI says Morales had been arrested in May for child rape and indecent assault on a child under 14. He was ordered to wear a GPS bracelet which tracked him to the facility when the weapons were stolen. It is believed he cut off the bracelet on Monday.

FBI investigators discovered blood samples around the scene of the theft and were able to match them to Morales’ DNA.

<READ MORE: 16 guns taken from Worcester U.S. Army Reserve >>

The FBI was able to track Morales to Long Island, New York where he was arrested Wednesday night by the Nassau County Police Department. He is expected to appear in federal court in New York on Thursday.

Morales had been at the same Army Reserve Center earlier in the week to collect his discharge papers.

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