Sanbornton Police arrest two for gun theft and burglary

SANBORNTON — Police have charged two local people in connection with a Sept. 2 burglary of a Mountain Road home in which a handgun and a shotgun were taken; however, one of those arrested said they were in the area because they were picking blackberries and waiting for some methamphetamine.

Aleka Goumillout, 25, of 176 Shaw Hill Road is charged with one count of being an accomplice to burglary, and Shiloh Gray, also of 176 Shaw Hill Road, is charged with one count of burglary and two counts of theft of handguns.

Goumillout is being held on $500 cash bail and Gray is being held on $7,500 cash bail after their separate arraignments Monday afternoon in the Belknap County Superior Court.

According to affidavits, the burglary was reported on Sept. 2 at 6:49 p.m. by the homeowner, who also reported a small safe containing passports and money missing.

The victim gave police specific details about each stolen gun, including the serial numbers and the color of the five shells in the ammo sleeve attached to the shotgun stock.

Police reviewed video taken by the homeowner's surveillance system and saw a maroon SUV pass the house twice earlier that day, between 2:15 and and 2:39 p.m. The victim said Gray, a former employee, drove or was a passenger in a very similar SUV.

Two neighbors also told police that they saw a similar vehicle parked in a lot near the victim's driveway around the same time and both described the driver as a woman with long dark hair whom police believe was Goumillout.

One neighbor said she watched the car for a while and saw a man wearing jeans and a baseball cap come out of the woods near the victim's home and return to the SUV. She said he appeared to be hiking up his jeans. She said the doors, the hood and the back lift gate were up and the car was filled with items.

During their investigation and according to affidavits, police said they learned where Gray lived and that Goumillout is his girlfriend. They also learned that in July, Franklin Police had issued a citation to Goumillout, who was driving a maroon Toyota 4-Runner and that Gray was with her.

On Sept. 5, police responded to 176 Shaw Hill Road for a report of a disturbance and learned from Gray's brother that he believed Shiloh was responsible for the theft of some of his marijuana plants he grows legally in Maine.

Gray's brother said Shiloh had shown up unexpectedly at his Maine home on Sept. 4 and had a .40 caliber handgun with a full magazine at the time. He said Shiloh had gotten the gun from the back of his SUV and said Shiloh also mentioned having a shotgun in the car.

Sanbornton Police also learned that on Sept. 4, Farmington Police had stopped Gray and Goumillout for driving with an expired temporary registration. The SUV had been impounded and was at a tow company's lot in Farmington.

Police obtained a search warrant for the SUV and recovered a pistol and a shotgun from the back. The serial numbers had been filed off both guns but police said the stock of the shotgun was the same as that described by the victim. They also recovered an ammo sleeve with the exact ammunition in it as described by the victim.

On Sept. 10, police were called to a home on Morrison Road for a report of a woman sleeping in a green SUV that was blocking the driveway to the residence. They found Goumillout in the driver's seat and Shiloh Gray in the passenger seat. Affidavits said drugs were found in plain sight and both were taken to the Tilton Police Department for processing.

While there, both were read their Miranda warnings and told they were being charged with their alleged roles in the Sept. 2 burglary.

The Sanbornton officer said that while he was preparing to take Gray to the Belknap County Jail, Gray said he wanted to talk further about the burglary.

Once at the Sanbornton Police Station, Gray was read his rights a second time and told the investigator he and Goumillout were on Mountain Road on Sept. 2 and they had parked in the lot near the victim's home.

Gray said they were there to wait for a person who was supposed to sell them some methamphetamine. He also said he saw a neighbor who was outside of her home that day and he saw the second neighbor drive by in his car.

He said he and Goumillout had been in an argument while waiting in the lot and said he went into to the woods for about a half an hour and didn't think she left the vehicle. Gray told police he was picking blackberries for her and had not walked over to the victim's home, though he admitted he was familiar with it.