Just ahead of the 4th of July, someone stole a Humvee from a National Guard armory in Santa Rosa, Calif. If you see it, or know where it is, the California National Guard would like it back.
The Humvee was stolen from the Santa Rosa National Guard Armory just after 10 p.m. on Monday, July 3. The Humvee has been missing since, with California Highway Patrol unable to find it over the 4th of July week.
Per local news outlet ABC 7, California Highway Patrol says there is evidence the thief climbed into the area over a fence — using a tarp to get over the defensive wire — before using the Humvee to crash through a gate on the way out.
“We started getting reports of a reckless driver, a speeding driver and, of course, of a Humvee,” Officer Marcus Hawkins with CHP told ABC 7.
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CHP said that there are no weapons or ammunition onboard the stolen vehicle. Hawkins told ABC 7 there’s a “safe assumption” that the thief had military experience. The Humvee has been seen driving at night without its lights on.
Despite the size and distinctive appearance, authorities at both California Highway Patrol and the National Guard have yet to recover it. However, the thief who is living life a quarter mile at a time has not gotten away from the area. The Los Angeles Times reported that CHP has received several tips from people who spotted it around Sonoma County and near Sacramento, but the Humvee and the driver have eluded capture. It’s unclear how the thief has been keeping it fueled over the past week without attracting attention.
This isn’t the first time someone stole a Humvee from the California National Guard. In 2021, a thief took one from an armory in Bell, California, near Los Angeles. The driver avoided capture for three days before the FBI located the abandoned Humvee near the Los Angeles River. Another Humvee was taken from the Army Reserve’s center in Upland, Calif. In 2020, when a parolee was able to steal it, but he was apprehended shortly after. In 2021 he was sentenced to 34 months in prison.
Other branches of the military have also had weapons and equipment go missing. 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines has had some unfortunate luck with that, with two rifles going missing from Camp Lejeune in December 2019. This January, a Sig Sauer M18 plus two magazines were reported lost.
If you are in California Wine Country and see a Humvee on the road, there’s a good chance it’s the one the National Guard is missing. California Highway Patrol is taking tips during the week at (707) 588-1400.
Note: A previous version of this story reported that the keys to the Humvee were left in the vehicle. The story has been updated, as the Humvee does not require a key to start.
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