Man allegedly steals rifle by shoving it down his pants

A Las Cruces man allegedly shoved a rifle down his pants and stole it from a local gun store, police said.

Investigators said Zachary Galvan, 23, went to Custom Cartridge on South Main Street, to buy a gun. Galvan completed the paperwork, but the sale was delayed after the the store owner attempted a background check. Galvan was told to come back in five days. Galvan remained in the store while the store owner helped other customers.

On a later date, the store owner told investigators he noticed that a Centurion Arms UC-9 carbine valued at $780 was missing. He checked the video surveillance and it showed Galvan remove the gun from the rack and put it down the front of his pants. A police report for the missing weapon was filed on Oct. 2.

Galvan went back to the gun store Tuesday to purchase a gun, investigators said. The owner recognized him and called police. Galvan was taken into custody at the store.

In a separate incident on Sept. 30, police found a Centurion Arms UC-9 carbine in a vehicle that was believed to be stolen. After the the owner of Custom Cartridge filed the police report for the missing gun, investigators connected the stolen gun to the gun found in the suspected stolen vehicle.

Galvan’s bond was set at $1,000.