Howell County deputies arrest man involved in two gun thefts
Dylan Dalton was arrested in Howell County, Mo. for allegedly stealing five firearms from a residence and possessing a firearm without permission, as well as possessing methamphetamine, and is being held on a $25,000 bond.
HOWELL COUNTY, Mo. -- Local authorities arrested a convicted felon in two different gun theft investigations on Thursday, July 24.
Dylan Dalton is charged with second-degree burglary. stealing a firearm and three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, according to online court records. The Howell County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) says Dalton is serving probation after being convicted of felony theft on June 30, 2025, and second-degree assault in November 2021.
According to a social media post from HCSO, they received a report from the victim on Thursday afternoon stating five firearms were stolen from a residence on County Road 6410. The victim named Dalton as a suspect due to a prior, similar incident.
Later in the day, the victim told deputies Dalton returned to his business with the firearms. At the business, deputies found Dalton with four rifles matching the stolen property, and a search revealed that Dalton had a purple glass pipe with methamphetamine inside.
Dalton was taken to the Howell County Jail, where he was admitted to taking the firearms but claimed it was part of a mutual agreement. Dalton also admitted that he did not have permission to enter the home, HCSO says.
One of the firearms recovered was later found to belong to a second victim, who reported later that evening that someone had broken into a vehicle parked near U.S. Highway 160 near West Plains and stolen his rifle that had his initials engraved. The rifle was identified as the firearm that did not belong to the first victim in the theft earlier in the day.
Dalton is being held on a $25,000 bond.
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