A loaded rifle and additional ammunition were stolen from an unmarked squad car belonging to the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office while it was parked in a ramp in St. Louis Park, authorities said Wednesday.
The break-in and the theft of the department-issued AR-15 occurred Jan. 6 on the third level of the ramp in the 1600 block of Utica Avenue, a heavily populated area with offices and retail outlets to the southwest of I-394 and Hwy. 100, police said.
Also taken were an additional rifle magazine and a magazine for a 9-millimeter handgun, police said.
None of the stolen items has been recovered, and there have been no arrests.
A sheriff's deputy told police that he parked the car in the ramp about 12:45 p.m. and returned about 7:30 p.m. to find that the vehicle had been broken into, police said in a statement.
The deputy was in St. Louis Park to attend "a work-related class," said Sheriff's Office spokesman John Eastham.
The rifle had been pried from its locked mount, which was left severely damaged, police added. Other items, not yet specified by police, were also taken from the vehicle.
The front driver-side door handle had been pried and removed, according to police.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
