Man accused of stealing assault rifle, suppressor from FBI car now facing federal charges

Federal prosecutors have brought criminal charges against a man accused of stealing weaponry from an FBI vehicle amid the chaos that unfolded Wednesday night in north Minneapolis after an immigration agent shot and wounded a man.

Raul Gutierrez, 33, of Minneapolis, is charged with counts of felon in possession of a firearm and theft of public property.

Charging documents allege Gutierrez was among the vandals who broke into an FBI vehicle that federal agents left behind as they retreated from protesters who had converged on the shooting scene.

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Videos circulating on social media show Gutierrez — identified by a distinct face tattoo — grabbing a rifle bag containing a Colt M16A1 rifle and a suppressor from inside the trunk vault. Other items taken from the vault include a Glock handgun, rifle and pistol ammunition, body armor, a laptop, and a handheld radio.

Law enforcement arrested Gutierrez on Thursday after tracking him from his home.

While in custody, Gutierrez admitted to stealing the gun from the FBI vehicle but said it was then stolen from him by two men he didn’t know. Charging documents state he “attempted to walk back his knowledge of the gun by saying he did not know what is in the case.”

Gutierrez has past felony convictions of burglary, reckless discharge of a firearm and domestic assault by strangulation and is ineligible to carry a firearm.

The FBI says it is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information that leads to the capture of people who vandalized or stole government property Wednesday night.
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