Salinas police officer's gun, uniform stolen in vehicle burglary.

A Salinas police officer’s handgun, uniform and badge were stolen overnight from his unlocked vehicle, making him the second police officer in the police department to have their weapon stolen within a month.

The first was Salinas Police Chief Kelly McMillin's assault rifle.

Monterey County Sheriff’s Cmdr. John Thornburg says the .45 caliber handgun was stolen sometime between late Sunday night and early Monday morning from the officer’s vehicle, which was parked at a Las Palmas neighborhood.

The burglary was reported to authorities about 11am. His vehicle was one of three vehicles broken into in the neighborhood overnight, Thornburg says. Thornburg made it clear that the officer's vehicle was unlocked, which according to the department's policy, would be a violation.

Just last month, Salinas Police Chief Kelly McMillin’s personal assault rifle was stolen from the trunk of his unmarked police vehicle. That weapon remains missing.

Joseph Sutton, one of two men suspected in the grand theft, has been arrested and he has pleaded not guilty to the crime. Prosecutors charged Sutton with grand theft because they said they could not "prove beyond reasonable doubt" the chief's vehicle was locked, or that there was forced entry, when his weapon was stolen.

McMillin declined to comment on the most recent vehicular burglary involving his officer citing that under the law he is not allowed to comment on personnel matters.

The burglary is currently being investigated by the sheriff's office.

According to the police department’s policy manual, police officers are allowed to keep their weapons inside the vehicle as long as the weapon and the vehicle are properly locked and secured.

Thornburg says he did not know if the officer's handgun was secured inside his unlocked vehicle.