Four teens charged after long-arm guns stolen

Four Hamilton teenagers are facing criminal charges after police seized six stolen long-arm guns from a Stoney Creek Mountain home.

Police allege the guns were stolen from a Cannon Street East home, near Frederick Avenue, Wednesday night, where witnesses spotted people fleeing in a getaway car later connected to a Candlewood Drive address.

Police executed a search warrant at that home, near Rymal Road East and Upper Centennial Parkway, late Thursday morning and found the stolen firearms.

An 18-year-old, 16-year-old and two 15-year-olds are each facing charges of break and enter, six counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm, and six counts of possession of a weapon obtained by crime, police said Friday.

Police identified the 18-year-old as Nikola Kunic.

The other three cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

No one was hurt during the break-in. The guns were properly registered and stored.

The victim co-operated with police.

Seven people were originally arrested near the Candlewood Drive home, but three were released unconditionally.

Police do not believe anyone else was involved and all of the stolen guns have been recovered, said spokesperson Const. Steve Welton.

It’s not clear exactly what the guns were stolen for, he said, but added long guns — especially ones that are altered, including sawedoff shotguns — are known to be used in crimes or sold illegally.

The teens are among a number of youth charged in connection with violent crimes recently.

These include teens charged in two stabbing-death homicides, two charged in a violent home invasion on Holly Avenue where a man was shot May 9, and three charged in connection with a string of armed robberies that included carjackings in April.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Curtis Patton of the criminal investigations branch at 905-546-2930.