LAKEPORT >> Law enforcement officers do not quite know what they are looking for, or even if there was a theft.
The strange investigation began Friday morning when a Lakeport resident reported finding what appeared to be a vintage rifle display case.
When Lakeport Police officers arrived at the scene — an open field in the 1500 block of South Main St. — they reported a wood case with a shattered glass door. A metal label inside read “Winchester model 1886.” The case also featured a cartridge display and attachment points for mounting a rifle.
The discovery of a black glove and black sheet at the location led officers to conclude the case likely contained Winchester rifle or a display replica which had been stolen.
Investigators did not have any reports of a burglary involving either the case or a possible vintage weapon to guide them.
“We believe that this display case likely contained a rifle before it was left at the location,” Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen explained in a statement issued Friday afternoon. “We suspect that the display case may have been stolen in a burglary or theft incident that is not yet discovered or reported to police and the sheet was likely used to cover the case during transport to the location we found it.”
Currently police are seeking information from the public and continuing their investigation into the matter — including the determination of some fundamentals.
“At this time, it is not known if the rifle was real or a replica,” Rasmussen said.
Investigators ask anyone with information to contact LPD by replying with a tip by texting the words TIP LAKEPORT followed by your message to 888777, by private message on the LPD Facebook page or by calling the department at 707-263-5491.
