Three persons have been charged in the theft of about 70 firearms worth about $20,000 and other personal belongings that occurred Sunday, March 22 at a Lake Waukomis, Mo. residence.
A short investigation led authorities to two neighbors and an accomplice in the crime. David Grant, Andrea Jacobs and Westley Watts remain in custody at the Platte County Detention Center.
According to a probable cause statement, a Kansas City (Mo.) Police Department officer overheard a white male talking on his cell phone while both were at a QuikTrip on Front Street off of Interstate 435.
The conversation included statements like, “We took so many guns out of there, the bed of the truck was dragging on the ground,” and, “I’m gonna get in trouble for it. I mean I did it.” The investigator knew of the firearms theft, and followed the male to his vehicle, a silver Ford Edge registered to Jacobs’ mother.
Grant, who turned 33 the day of the crime, and Jacobs, 30, are in a relationship and live together at 773 NW South Shore Dr. The guns and other property were stolen from 775 NW South Shore Dr.
The officer who overheard the cell phone conversation followed the man to the register and later positively identified Grant as the suspect. He was interviewed and verified that Jacobs, Watts and himself burglarized 775 NW South Shore Dr. and stole the items from that house. He indicated they took the items to Watts’ home in Blue Springs, Mo. during three different trips.
A search warrant served at Watts’ home on March 25 turned up three of the stolen guns in the basement area that he and his wife occupy. According to a Platte County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson, about 20 total firearms in the case have been recovered at this time.
The other guns were found in undisclosed residence in Kansas City, Mo., according to the same spokesman.
During a subsequent interview, Watts, 46, said he visited Jacobs and Grant at their home during the weekend in question. A neighbor’s security camera shows a man identified as Grant carrying a large item covered with a blanket between his residence and the burglarized one, putting them in the bed of a maroon truck. Jacobs can be seen carrying a compound bow covered with a blanket in the bed. The victim later identified the bow as his and the blanket as a comforter previously located inside his residence.
Watts can be seen in the driver’s seat as more large objects are brought out to the truck.
Once fully loaded, the truck leaves, and Watts said he then drove to Blue Springs and unloaded the items into his garage. At that time, Watts said he realized the items included a large amount of guns.
While under arrest, Jacobs called Grant from the detention center — a conversation that was recorded.
On the audio, Grant said he provided authorities with her “old” cell phone, and she responds, “I hope it was deleted.” He indicates an affirmative and goes on to imply that he did not provide the correct phone to police and possibly deleted evidence of the crime.
“I’m just going to come up there and tell them it was me and not you,” he said during the call.
Grant is charged with felonious burglary and theft, while Jacobs and Watts are charged with felonious burglary and theft of a firearm. They are all being held on a $75,000 cash-only bond. All three face up to 25 years in prison if convicted on both charges.
Authorities continue to investigate the case in search of more of the stolen guns.