On Tuesday, January 29th, a Deputy was dispatched to County Road 17, near Etowah County. A homeowner had discovered that two handguns had been stolen from his vehicle.

Later the next day, a Deputy responded to a domestic violence call on County Road 4, also near the Etowah County line. In addition to being assaulted, the victim reported his prescription medication had been stolen.

It was also reported the suspect had several handguns that were possibly stolen in his possession. When the Deputies checked the residence, they found the weapons in a backpack underneath the home.

The pistols were found to be stolen in the previously reported theft. The suspect was later arrested and charged with the crime.

Christian Chase Barnett (20 of Boaz) was arrested for two counts of Theft of Property 2nd  Degree, Breaking & Entering a Vehicle, and Domestic Violence 3rd Degree.

DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said of the arrest: “I want to thank our deputies for their hard work and attention to detail in this case. Not only were we able to recover the property for a legal gun owner, but also get these weapons out of the hands of a criminal.”

“I cannot stress enough the importance of properly securing firearms while you are not in your vehicle. One of the easiest ways for a criminal to steal a firearm is while it is unattended in a vehicle,” said Welden.

“Mobile Police Officer Sean Tuder, who was recently killed in the line of duty, was shot with a stolen firearm. The handgun had been stolen from an unlocked vehicle. The 19-year-old suspect may have not been armed if the firearm had been properly secured,” explained Welden.

“I’d also like to thank the Crossville and Geraldine Police Departments for assisting in this incident,” he added.

“As always, God Bless,” Sheriff Welden concluded.