Guns stolen from sheriff ’s vehicle

Two firearms, ammunition and a bulletproof vest were stolen in San Francisco on Friday night from a San Mateo County sheriff ’s deputy’s vehicle, authorities said.

The weapons, a shotgun and a rifle, were taken from an unmarked vehicle shortly before 10 p.m. on Jones Street in the Tenderloin District, according to the San Francisco Police Department. The vehicle belonged to an “outside police agency,” the department said.

An undisclosed amount of ammunition and a Kevlar vest were also stolen, according to police, who said a group of “unknown suspects” broke into the vehicle.

The deputy, who was not identified, was assigned to an FBI task force based in San Francisco at the time of the thefts, said Det. Salvador Zuno, public information officer for the San Mateo County Sheriff ’s Office.

Zuno did not know if the weapons were properly secured or what the deputy was doing at the time of the theft. The deputy remains on duty, Zuno said.

The San Francisco Police Department declined to answer additional questions about the theft. A call to the FBI’s San Francisco field office seeking additional comment was not immediately returned.

The issue of law enforcement weapons being stolen from parked vehicles looms large in the Bay Area. A firearm stolen from a car belonging to a Bureau of Land Management ranger was used in the 2015 shooting death of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco.

Her slaying became a cornerstone of the national debate over immigration enforcement after an immigrant with a lengthy criminal history who was in the country illegally was arrested and charged with murdering her. The shooting was often cited by President Trump on the campaign trail.

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, 45, is on trial for the killing.