Missoula Burglar Steals One Man’s Gun and Another Man’s Subaru

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On January 15, 2026, at approximately 3:50 p.m., Missoula Police Department Officers were dispatched to suspicious activity at a residence in the 1000 block of Wolf Street. The complainant advised that an unknown male had proceeded onto his gated property, knocked on his back door, and had left a gun and a gun case on his porch. The suspect then returned and retrieved the gun and the case and proceeded to a blue Subaru parked in the street.  

The male suspect was described as a thirty-year-old white adult male with tattoos and a tie-dye shirt with a backpack. The suspect was described as having fled south on foot across the Northside Pedestrian Footbridge. An officer ran the license plate for the Subaru, and the registered owner reported that it had been stolen at some time that day from his construction worksite. 

Another officer drove his marked patrol vehicle to the intersection of North 2nd Street West and Wolf Street, and he observed a male with a backpack matching the description of the suspect. The male suspect looked back towards the officer’s marked patrol vehicle and began running South on Grant Street.  

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The officer exited his vehicle as the male began running up the Northside Pedestrian Footbridge before throwing his backpack off. The male continued south across the bridge over the train tracks, where he was intercepted by another officer who successfully detained him. The officer removed a knife from the male's front right pant pocket, but otherwise found no other weapons. 

A sergeant, who was also on scene, asked the suspect male where the firearm was. When asked for his name, the male initially said “Tanner.” An officer checked the nearby area for a gun and discovered a tan-colored Glock 9mm handgun. This firearm was located on the ground approximately 20-30 feet away from where the male was eventually detained. 

Another officer conducted a search incident to arrest and found a Subaru key fob and a single 9 mm bullet. An officer confronted the male about his identity. The male then admitted his name was Tyler Bartlett. Bartlett spoke at a fast pace and was breathing heavily. According to court documents, the officer asked Bartlett about prior methamphetamine use, and he claimed he last used meth yesterday. 

READ MORE: Missoula News – Crime Reports 

At or near the same time, John Doe called in to report a burglary of his home located in the 600 block of North 3rd Street West. An officer responded to the address and spoke with Doe, who noticed several items were missing, including his tan Glock 9mm handgun. Doe also noticed that a set of car keys that did not belong to him was left on top of the dresser. 

The officer unlocked the stolen Subaru using the keys left inside Doe’s house. The Subaru owner provided consent to search through the vehicle for possible stolen property. Doe then proceeded through the vehicle and began pulling multiple items that he identified as his.  

Bartlett was arrested and transported to the Missoula County Detention Facility. He is currently being charged with felony burglary, felony theft or property of a light vehicle, felony possession of a stolen firearm, felony tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, criminal trespass to property, and obstructing a peace officer. His bond was set at $50,000. 

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.