Gilbert couple arrested in storage unit break-in of weapons, valuable art
Feb 21, 2020, 2:30 PM
Christian Propst, left, and Margo Barre (Maricopa County Sheriff's Department Photos)
(Maricopa County Sheriff's Department Photos)
PHOENIX – A couple accused of stealing weapons and pricey art from a Chandler storage unit have been taken into custody after they fell through the attic ceiling of their home while trying to hide from police.
Detective Seth Tyler with Chandler Police said Christian Propst, 27, and Margo Barre, 35, were arrested at their Gilbert house on Tuesday.
A SWAT-trained team had been unsuccessful in making contact with the pair before the fall.
Propst and Barre were charged with third-degree burglary, theft and criminal damage.
Three of the 15 guns were assault rifles, Tyler said.
“They also stole the safe the guns were in,” he said, and a number of high-value antiques and art.
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The two allegedly broke into the unit near Arizona Avenue and Frye Road on Feb. 7.
Propst and Barre were friends of the unit’s renter. “They actually helped the victim moved this stuff into (the) storage unit,” Tyler said.
The antiques and art were valued at $75,000, police said.
Surveillance footage from the site led officers to the suspects’ house near Pecos and Lindsay roads.
Barre was released but Propst remained jail. He was on probation for another offense.
None of the missing items have been recovered, Tyler said.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Ashley Flood contributed to this report.
