Mystery as thieves steal three Humvees and a treasure trove of machine gun mounts from California army base
A gang of thieves broke into a California military base and made off with three Humvees and a bundle of equipment which included machine gun mounts.
The Tustin Police Department said that the unknown suspects broke into the Army Reserve Center in the Orange County city on Wednesday.
Officials say that the brazen robbers made off with three Humvees, one of which was armored, 8 machine gun mounts, tripods, medical equipment, 40 pairs of binoculars and 18 bayonets.
The unidentified thieves entered the base's storage warehouse between 8 pm and 11:30 pm.
Detectives later discovered multiple storage lockers with locks removed and missing gear.
'An attempt was made to cut a lock to uniform storage, however was unsuccessful,' a police report said.
Authorities also discovered a fence that appeared to have been cut in order for the defiant thieves to 'gain access' to the military parking lot
Officials say that the brazen robbers made off with three Humvees, one of which was armored Pictured: Images provided by police showing examples of Humvees
The Army has since confirmed to Tustin Police that there is no known additional loss of weapons or ammunition other than what was confirmed missing
The unidentified thieves entered the US Army Reserve Center in Tustin's storage warehouse between 8 pm and 11:30 pm on Wednesday. Pictured: Aerial view of the Army Reserve Center in Tustin, California
'A fence was cut to gain access to a military vehicle parking lot where three Humvees were stole. The suspects left the area at an unknown time,' the report added.
All three of the missing vehicles are adorned with Army admin numbers painted on the hood.
The Army has since confirmed to Tustin Police that there is no known additional loss of weapons or ammunition other than what was confirmed missing.
Fear-riddled onlookers have since taken to social media to share their worries and concerns over the stolen military-grade assets.
'This is quite disturbing,' one reacted to the Tustin Police report on Facebook.
'This is not going to end well,' another chimed in.
Another commented: 'So what's the likely motive? Looting in LA? Another terror attack on the horizon? Is this perhaps the cartel? What's going on?'
'Frightening! The drones, the cyberattacks, the fires? Now this … why does it feel like a slow attack is brewing?!? Chaos,' another wrote.
The criminals stole a treasure trove of machine gun mounts, among other items. Pictured: An Army Sgt. adjusts his machine gun as he stands in the turret of a Humvee vehicle
One of the three pilfered military vehicles was armored, the other two were not. All three of the missing vehicles are adorned with Army admin numbers painted on the hood (pictured)
Authorities also discovered a maimed fence that appeared to have been cut in order for the defiant thieves to 'gain access' to the military parking lot
In recent days parts of The Golden State have been decimated by wildfires that have wrecked havoc across over 37,000 acres.
The disaster has already claimed the lives of at least 11 people and destroyed more than 10,000 structures.
The scale of the devastation has prompted locals to demand answers from officials, amid reports that fire hydrants in some of the worst hit areas ran dry.
LA Mayor Karen Bass has been repeatedly blast for her to stand down over the fires, after she was out of the country when they started.
Since the fire broke out in Pacific Palisades, new fires have started further east in Altadena, which forced major evacuations in nearby Pasadena on Tuesday night.
More fires broke out in the Hollywood hills on Wednesday, threatening heavily populated parts of Hollywood.
