Guns, vehicle and more stolen from two homes on Eagle street

Eagle police are looking for whoever broke into two homes on Shalimar Drive in Eagle over the Christmas holiday and stole multiple guns, jewelry, a van and several other items.

The thieves stole a locked gun safe weighing more than 200 pounds from inside one of the homes, and the safe had 18 handguns and rifles inside, according to an Ada County Sheriff's Office news release. The safe was later found in a ditch near Middleton, with the bottom of the safe cut off and the guns missing.

A rifle and shotgun were taken from the other burglarized home, ACSO reports.

Both incidents likely happened on Christmas Eve, and investigators believe the culprits may have been driving through the neighborhood looking for homes where the residents were away for the holiday. The thieves broke into both homes through locked glass doors, investigators said.

The first burglary was discovered Dec. 27 when the homeowner returned and found the home had been ransacked. Jewelry and presents were taken, along with two guns.

The second crime, at a home across a large common area from the first targeted home, was discovered Dec. 30 when officers found a stolen minivan abandoned in a subdivision about five miles away. Officers called the owner of the vehicle and discovered that person's Shalimar Drive home also had been broken into and ransacked. Investigators believe the thieves took the gun safe from the home's garage by placing it in the minivan and driving away.

Anyone with information about the crimes is asked to call Eagle police at 938-2260 or email Detective Nick Shaffer at nshaffer@adaweb.net.

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Guns, vehicle and more stolen from two homes on Eagle street."