What began as the investigation of a construction site burglary took an unexpected turn after Boro Park Shomrim volunteers discovered a loaded handgun while reviewing surveillance footage, leading to the arrest of the burglary suspect.

Shomrim received a hotline call reporting that expensive tools had been stolen from a construction site over the weekend. A Shomrim volunteer responded and spent hours reviewing surveillance footage in an effort to identify the person responsible.

While examining the footage, the volunteer noticed what appeared to be a flashlight coming from the rear of the property. He went to check the area and made a shocking discovery: a loaded handgun lying in the corner of the construction site.

The volunteer immediately notified the NYPD, and officers, together with the NYPD Field Intelligence Team, responded to recover the firearm and begin their investigation.

Shomrim’s IT Team continued reviewing surveillance footage to determine how the firearm ended up at the scene. During the review, volunteers identified the individual responsible for stealing the expensive tools. By gathering additional footage from nearby cameras, they were able to follow the suspect’s movements after leaving the construction site.

Later, while on patrol, a Shomrim volunteer spotted the suspect and alerted other volunteers. They kept an eye on the individual while notifying the NYPD, who responded and arrested the suspect on burglary charges.

Shomrim reminds the community to report suspicious activity immediately. In this case, a nearby resident later said they saw the suspect enter a backyard but didn’t call the hotline. One phone call can make all the difference in helping prevent crime and keeping the community safe.