PERRIS, Calif. -- A stolen competition shotgun belonging to Olympic trap shooter Kim Rhode was found during a search of a Perris home, and a 22-year-old man at the home was arrested for an alleged probation violation, a sheriff's sergeant said Wednesday.
The Perazzi 12-gauge, model MX12, over-and-under shotgun was found during a probation search on Thursday, said sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez. The shotgun was returned to Rhode.
"I just can't believe the condition that it is in," Rhode said. "I'm just so ecstatic that I can literally take it out of the case and shoot it."
The shotgun was found still in its case, with Rhode's name and address on it. Missing were Olympic stickers that the suspect "apparently removed," Gutierrez said.
"We're satisfied that we were able to reunite the shotgun with its owner," Gutierrez said.
Gregorio Macias, 22, was booked on suspicion of a probation violation and was released on $25,000 bail Sunday, according to the sheriff's department. He is set to appear in court Feb. 20.
Macias, who pleaded guilty in June 2007 to assault with a deadly weapon, was placed on three years probation and ordered to spend 88 days on weekend jail time.
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He had his probation revoked and reinstated twice, once on Sept. 25, 2007, and again on July 7, because he missed some weekends of incarceration, according to court records.
The shotgun was stolen from Rhode's pickup truck at a Lake Elsinore mall Sept. 11 by someone who smashed the passenger window of her pickup truck, Gutierrez said.
Rhode has been competing with the gun for 18 years, winning Olympic gold, bronze and, most recently, silver at the Beijing Games last summer.
Gutierrez said he was told the gun, which has two barrels, one atop the other, is worth about $35,000.
