Westerlo, New York

From the February 7, 2006 Albany, New York Times-Union:

WESTERLO -- A New York City man has been charged in connection with the theft of nearly two dozen firearms that were stolen last month from a rural gun store in southern Albany County.

Most of the guns have been recovered, including some that were found in New York City in the possession of suspected street gang members there, authorities said.

Richard M. Mwazi, 20, of Queens, is accused of smashing a window and stealing 21 guns from the Southwings Gun Shop on Route 405 on Jan. 22. The burglary took place a week after another burglary at the store in which three handguns were taken, and Mwazi is a suspect in that break-in as well, police said.

Mwazi's mother, who works for the United Nations, has a summer home on Sleepy Hollow Road in Athens, not far from the gun store, authorities said.

During the second burglary, the store's owner fired a shot at Mwazi's car as he fled, striking the vehicle, and that would later help Albany County sheriff's investigators confirm that he was involved in the heist, sheriff's officials said.