By John Howell
A house burglary on Court Street last week netted the burglar(s) a semi-automatic handgun and $35 in change, Batesville Police Department officers reported.

BPD first received report of the burglary Saturday when the gun owner returned home and discovered the Springfield XD M-40 pistol missing from his gun cabinet.

The magazine was loaded but the chamber empty, BPD Sergeant Justin Maples’ report states.
The gun owner told police that his wife on Thursday had found a carport door slightly open but had thought that he had left it open accidentally.

During the investigation, the gun owner also noticed that a jar containing about $35 in change was missing from a bedroom nightstand.

BPD detective Lt. George Williford is investigating the theft. The serial number of the handgun has been entered into the National Crime Information Computer, according to the report.
The house burglary follows two vehicle burglaries in late September where thieves also targeted firearms. In one incident a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun was stolen from a vehicle parked on College Street.

Two nights later, two Brunelli shotguns were stolen from a vehicle parked overnight at a home on Brinkley Lane.

In a Sunday theft from a vehicle, the victim reported that a phone had been stolen from his vehicle while it was parked at Tractor Supply between 5:30 and 6 p.m.

The Apple iPhone 4S was valued at $350 but did not have the “Find My iPhone” app. Officers found no sign of forced entry on the 2007 Volkswagen Jetta, according to BPD Lt. John Miller’s report.