Suspect accused of stealing Salinas Police Chief’s assault rifle pleads not guilty

UPDATE 3/30/2016 1:30 PM: Officials with the Salinas Police Department said there will be no policy changes after a rifle was stolen from the police chief’s car.

“There is no policy violation with respect to either owning the gun or the manner in which he has stored the gun in his car,” Salinas City Attorney Chris Callihan said.

The rifle, which was work-issued, is still missing.

UPDATE 3/28/2016 4:05 PM: The suspect accused of stealing Salinas Police Chief Kelly McMillin’s assault rifle pleaded not guilty to his charges Monday afternoon.

Joseph Twiford Sutton is due back in court on April 5 and 7. His bail was set at $20,000.

“We believe there is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that he is the one that stole items from the vehicle at issue,” said Monterey County Chief Assistant District Attorney Berkley Brannon.

Meanwhile, Chief McMillin addressed the media after Sutton’s arraignment. McMillin said his AR-15 was taken from the trunk of his unmarked patrol car on Friday along with ammunition andhis bulletproof vest. He said the car was parked at his house in unincorporated Monterey County.

“You appreciate the fact of the violation that you feel personally when someone has been in your space like that,” said McMillin.

McMillin said he doesn’t know if his car was broken into, or whether he left it unlocked.

According to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, the gun has not been found.

“The thought of having this firearm out there on the street just physically makes me ill,” said McMillin. “I’m just so upset and I’m so hopeful we can get it back.”

City Attorney Chris Callihan said after reviewing policy this weekend, Chief McMillin did not violate any rules.

“There is no policy violation with respect to his either owning the gun or the manner in which he has stored the gun in his car,” said Callihan.

ORIGINAL STORY: A suspect has been arrested for stealing Salinas Police Chief Kelly McMillin’s assault rifle out of McMillin’s car, according to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.

That suspect, Joseph Twiford Sutton, will be arraigned Monday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. He will likely be charged with grand theft (felony), grand theft of a firearm (felony), and possession of meth (misdemeanor).

The report came into the Monterey County District Attorney’s office Monday morning.

We reached out to the Salinas Police Department, which declined to comment, saying it’s an ongoing investigation by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. We also reached out to the Sheriff’s Office for more information on the arrest and theft. As soon as we hear back, we will update this web article.

KION’s Maya Holmes is following this story. Tune in for more information at 5 and 6 p.m. Monday night.