April 4, 2025

The Chicago Police Department’s Major Auto Theft Investigations (CMATI) Unit in the Bureau of Detectives recovered 11 long guns, five handguns and numerous rifle and pistol rounds from a storage facility on April 3, 2025.

This recovery highlights the partnerships our officers have built within the business community. 

An employee of a storage facility in the city’s Near West Side community contacted CMATI Officer Joe Lopez after previously collaborating with him in other investigations.

The employee entered the storage unit of a renter who had failed to pay storage fees. Once inside, the employee observed numerous weapons. 

Officer Lopez responded to the storage facility with a task force officer from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to secure the firearms and ammunition. ATF task force members have since submitted the recovered weapons for ballistic testing to verify that the firearms have not been stolen or used in the commission of other crimes.