The guns don't fire, but they have plenty of historical value.
And on Saturday, June 7,
two thieves reportedly broke in to Casa Loma to get at them.
The crooks are said to have climbed up scaffolding being used in the building's restoration, and broke a second floor window to get in. But cops contend at least one of them wasn't very careful - they found a trail of blood leading away from the scene.
Now police say they've caught up to the bandits with a taste for things past. Patrick Maier-Trevizan of Toronto and Piotr Baczynski of Mississauga, both 19, have been charged with break and enter, and the pictured artifacts have been recovered.
In addition, Baczynski was charged with possession of property obtained by crime.
The weapons, usually kept in the Queen's Own Rifles Museum inside Casa Loma, included:
- A helmet
- A quantity of decommissioned ammunition
- An antique Sten submachine gun
- A Bren light machine gun
- A Bock bolt-action rifle
Police allege the suspects took the items from the building and hid them in nearby bushes to facilitate a quick escape from the scene. They say one of them returned later to collect the hidden items.
Cops think a lot of what happened here involved a terrible error in judgment. "As a result of our investigation, it appears that both males had consumed a lot of alcohol and are very regretful for their actions," notes Det. Colin Greenaway. "In retrospect after speaking with my investigators they're remorseful and understand the impact on the artifacts and the community as whole."
Police say the pair had been at a bar in the Entertainment District the night before. But on Tuesday they were somewhere else - a courtroom on
Finch Ave. West
.
The rifles have been decommissioned by professionals, so they no longer shoot and are of no danger. But experts say they're of great historical importance and they wanted them back.