KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. - Hugo Sanchez, a Kill Devil Hills resident says he was just doing what he thought was right when he found two guns in a black canvas bag hidden near his property on Wednesday.
“I just was, you know, starting to clean my yard, and I see a…black bag, and I go over there, and I opened it up, and I see a PlayStation 3,” Sanchez told News 3 in an exclusive interview. “I’m like, ‘Oh, it’s a game!”
But it wasn’t a game. Inside were two stolen guns that police in Kill Devil Hills had been trying to track down for weeks, hoping for the right tip and a little luck.
“I like to think that some of that luck is self-generated by creating good relationships with the community that we serve, and them trusting us,” said Lt. John Towler, the official spokesperson for the department.
The guns were located off Creek Street, and couldn’t be seen from the road due to a high embankment. Sanchez, however, had the perfect view of the oak tree they were found under, right from his backyard.
Sanchez says he was excited at first, but after seeing bullets in the bag, he decided to call for back up.
“I called my stepson Luis. He comes over, and he opens the PlayStation 3 box, and there was a gun in there,” said Sanchez. “Then, he kept moving, and he found another one in there, and I said, ‘You know what? We better call the police.’”
Police were called, and upon inspecting the bag, officers located a second gun, a Colt Cobra revolved wrapped in cloth at the bottom of the bag.
The guns were found just one block away from where they were initially stolen, a discovery which police say they couldn’t have done without Sanchez.
“I think they should be rewarded,” said Towler. “They’ve done a good deed and got us back some stolen guns, so yeah, absolutely.”
Sanchez told police he didn’t need a reward, but he hopes his discovery helps them catch the suspect soon.
The guns are being processed for DNA and fingerprint evidence.
Initially, three guns were reported stolen out of an unlocked vehicle last month. Police say the third gun, a Seecamp .32 semiautomatic, was located at a family property in Bertie County, and was mistakenly reported stolen.
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