A wanted felon was arrested by Grants Pass Police following the burglary of a gun store in Oregon.
Antone Wayne Bayard, 27, of Anza, California, was detained after store cameras identified him as a suspect in the burglary Wednesday, Jan. 24.
According to a department press release, just after 6 p.m., Grants Pass Police Officers responded to a Firearms Retail Store in the 200 block of Redwood Hwy. regarding an alarm. Upon their arrival, officers discovered the front doors of the business had been smashed open, and multiple firearms had been stolen. Store surveillance showed a white pickup truck backing through the doors and a lone suspect taking multiple firearms. Grants Pass Police Detectives responded to the scene and began their investigation.
An image of the suspect from the surveillance video was distributed to local police officers, and a Grants Pass Police School Marshall advised detectives he had seen a subject matching the description at a local grocery store the day of the burglary. Further investigation by Grants Pass Detectives, Oregon State Police, Medford Police Detectives, the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement team, U.S. Marshals, and ATF identified the suspect through the School Marshall’s tip.
The suspect, who was identified as Antone W. Bayard, a 27-year-old from Southern California, was tracked to a VRBO rental on Willow Lane in Grants Pass. It was also discovered that Bayard was wanted for a parole violation warrant out of Riverside County.
Friday, Jan. 26, just after 3 p.m., as Grants Pass SWAT members began to surround the VRBO rental on Willow Lane, Bayard ran from the residence and was arrested a short time later.
Grants Pass Detectives are in the process of obtaining a search warrant for the VRBO rental, where they are confident they will recover the stolen firearms. Willow Lane has been reopened following a brief closure for police action and for the safety of the community.
The Grants Pass Police Department thanks the assisting agencies for their support, as well as the Grants Pass community for their understanding and assistance.
Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia.com.
