Man Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Tactical Gear, Weapons From Officer

A 30-year-old man was behind bars after he was found in Escondido with weapons, a ballistic vest and other gear he allegedly stole from a law enforcement officer in San Diego.

Dispatchers received a call around 1:10 a.m. Thursday from a person who reported a man passed out in a vehicle at the 7-Eleven on West Ninth Avenue near Centre City Parkway, Escondido police Lt. Kevin Toth said.

The caller also told a dispatcher the man did not respond to attempts to wake him up and the caller believed the man was under the influence of drugs, Toth said.

Officers responded to the scene and found the man, identified as 30-year-old Thomas Vann, in a vehicle wearing a ballistic-style vest with loaded rifle magazines visible on the front passenger seat next to him, the lieutenant said.

Officers were able to wake Vann up and detain him without incident.

Upon searching Vann and his vehicle, officers found four rifle magazines fully loaded, 126 rounds of rifle and shotgun ammo, 392 grams of methamphetamine, 78 grams of heroin and stolen law enforcement gear, including a tactical vest, duty belt and handcuffs, Toth said.

The District Attorney's Office said the incident involved a county vehicle assigned to a DA investigator "who had removed all firearms from the vehicle in compliance with state law."

"Concurrent with the Escondido Police Department's investigation of the theft, the District Attorney's Office considers this a serious matter and is conducting an internal review of the incident, which demonstrates that even law enforcement is not immune to thieves," DA spokesperson Steve Walker said.

Officers determined the gear was stolen from a law enforcement officer in San Diego on Wednesday, but Toth did not disclose details regarding how Vann was able to allegedly take the gear.

Vann was arrested and booked into the Vista Detention Facility on "numerous" drugs, weapons and stolen property charges, Toth said.