STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
CASE#: 23B4006554
RANK/TROOPER FULL NAME: Sgt. Henry Alberico
STATION: VSP Rutland
CONTACT#: 802-773-9101
DATE/TIME: Between 2-4:40 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023
INCIDENT LOCATION: Rutland City, Vermont
VIOLATION: Theft of VSP cruiser and patrol rifle
ACCUSED: Timothy Gabriel
AGE: 29
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Burlington and Rutland, VT
SUMMARY OF INCIDENT:
Investigators have recovered the Sig Sauer patrol rifle that was stolen early Tuesday morning from a Vermont State Police cruiser.
Acting on information provided by the public, on Thursday morning, Oct. 19, 2023, VSP troopers from the Shaftsbury Barracks and game wardens from the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife began searching pull-offs along U.S. Route 7 in Bennington County. During the early afternoon hours, the rifle was located abandoned in a pull-off in the vicinity of Exit 3 in Arlington. Members of the Vermont State Police Criminal Division responded to process the scene for evidence.
Meanwhile, the state police has continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the theft of the patrol rifle and VSP cruiser early Tuesday. Uniformed troopers in VSP’s Field Force Division are assigned take-home cruisers. Secure storage racks for police-issued firearms, including the Sig Sauer Model 400 .223-caliber patrol rifle, are installed in these cruisers. State police policy provides that anytime a cruiser is left unattended, the vehicle must be locked with the windows secured.
A man named Timothy Gabriel was arraigned in federal court in Burlington Wednesday for possessing that firearm as a convicted felon.
Timothy Gabriel faces federal firearms charge in Burlington
In this case, VSP investigators have been unable to determine whether the cruiser was locked when it was parked overnight in a parking lot in direct sight from Cpl. Christopher Loyzelle’s residence in Rutland. The cruiser was left in this location after Loyzelle had gone off duty at 2 a.m. Tuesday. Police are continuing to investigate precisely how the suspect made entry into the cruiser.
A key to the cruiser, a fully marked 2021 Ford SUV, had been left inside the vehicle. The ignition was not damaged and does not appear to have been bypassed. Gun racks inside cruisers are secured independently and cannot be accessed with a vehicle key. The patrol rifle was locked in the storage rack in accordance with VSP policy.
The rack and locking mechanism were damaged during the theft of the rifle. As is standard practice when a rifle is carried securely in a cruiser, a magazine with ammunition was loaded in the rifle.
Following the theft of the cruiser, the suspect eventually abandoned the vehicle outside Belden’s Construction in Rutland City, where an employee discovered the SUV and alerted state police at about 7 a.m.
Cpl. Loyzelle’s duty status is unchanged. The state police is continuing to investigate all circumstances surrounding this incident and will provide further updates as appropriate. No additional information is available at this time.
***Update No. 3, 9:05 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023***
Through investigation and tips from the public, the Vermont State Police identified the suspect in this incident as Timothy Gabriel, 29, whose most recent addresses were in Burlington and Rutland.
At about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, members of the Vermont State Police located Gabriel walking on Cherry Street in Burlington. He ignored commands directing him to surrender and had to be subdued by troopers. The stolen patrol rifle remains unaccounted for, and the VSP investigation into this incident is continuing.
The Vermont State Police has worked closely on this investigation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. Gabriel initially is expected to face a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the theft of the patrol rifle. His initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Burlington is expected to be held Thursday afternoon.
VSP also is working in collaboration with the Rutland County State’s Attorney’s Office on this ongoing investigation, and additional charges are possible.
Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the theft of the police cruiser, which was assigned to Cpl. Christopher Loyzelle of the Rutland Barracks.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Rutland Barracks at 802-773-9101 or provide an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
The state police will continue providing updates on this case as the investigation unfolds.
***Update No. 2, 7:20 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023***
The Vermont State Police operation on West Street in Rutland is continuing, but the presence of law enforcement in the area has been reduced. The street has been reopened. Investigation by VSP does not indicate any danger to the public in the vicinity.
The state police is pursuing all avenues of investigation related to this incident. No one is currently in custody.
Members of the public with any information that could be of assistance to investigators should call the Rutland Barracks at 802-773-9101 or leave an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
No additional information is available. VSP will provide further updates as the investigation continues.
***Update No. 1, 4:05 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023***
As part of this ongoing investigation, the Vermont State Police currently has a heavy law-enforcement presence on West Street in Rutland. Members of the public should avoid the area, and motorists are encouraged to take alternate routes.
VSP will continue to provide updates as the investigation continues.
***Initial news release, 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023***
The Vermont State Police is investigating the theft of a VSP cruiser and a patrol rifle that was taken from the vehicle.
The cruiser was stolen from outside a residence in Rutland City between 2 a.m. and 4:40 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. The cruiser was subsequently located elsewhere in Rutland City, but the Sig Sauer patrol rifle that had been secured in the vehicle had been forcibly removed. The circumstances of the vehicle theft are under active investigation.
Surveillance video in the area captured images of the suspect carrying the rifle. A photo is attached to this release. Anyone with information regarding the suspect’s identity or who might be able to assist investigators in this case is asked to call the Vermont State Police in Rutland at 802-773-9101. Tips also can be provided online anonymously at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
No further details are currently available. The state police will provide updates as the investigation continues.
