By Lindsey Stokes
Staff Writer
FBI officials confirm a man broke into a Worcester, Mass. Army reserve center over the weekend and made off with 16 weapons.
In a statement released Monday, Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus said the break-in occurred sometime between 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 a.m. Monday at the Lincoln Army Reserve Center.
Police and firefighters responded to a call just after 8:30 a.m. Sunday from a center employee reporting smoke and signs of a break-in.
In a press conference Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker described some of the weapons stolen as high caliber, including what he said were several rifles.
“I’m especially concerned about it,” said Baker. “I’m just concerned by the fact that some really high caliber weapons were stolen from a military facility in the first place.”
According to Baker, state and local law enforcement officials are working with the FBI in the investigation. He said he was not aware of any specific threats to the public and that the FBI does not believe the theft was an act of terrorism.
As a precaution, City Manager Augustus said additional officers of the Worcester Police Department have been stationed in several key locations throughout the community until further notice.
Descriptions of the stolen weapons have been entered into the National Crime Information Center, an online database searchable by law enforcement database.
