A Carbondale man was arrested early Friday morning when Carbondale Police, responding to a burglary alarm at Gold and Pawn at 1100 E. Main Street, found 24-year-old Thaddeus Bowels fleeing the business with two stolen assault rifles.

Officers found the glass on the front door smashed in when they arrived at the scene. Soon after, Bowels was arrested on burglary charges and was incarcerated in the Jackson County Jail in Murphysboro. He had the intention to later sell the weapons , authorities believe.

“We don’t have reason to believe he was involved in any other burglaries, ” said Carbondale Interim Police Chief Steve Odum. “We didn’t have any other evidence to prove he has been involved in any other burglaries.

“… I don’t think citizens should be [overly worried] about this.”

Odum said the number of similar crimes appears to be on par to most years, and the summer is typically when fewer burglaries occur.

“I don’t per capita, but obviously, we have more when there are more people in town,” Odum said. “Right now, there are a whole lot of vacant apartments, which don’t make much sense to burglar because there isn’t much to steal.”