When a Cape Coral woman bought a piece of luggage at a local wholesale store, she received an unexpected free gift with her purchase.
The woman told police that she bought the black carry-on case from BJ’s Wholesale Club on Pine Island Road on Feb. 12 for $28. On Thursday, she went to use the luggage for a trip and discovered a loaded pistol inside the case.
The gun was located in the main compartment in a mesh side interior pocket, according to a police report. The pistol is a black, .38-caliber five-shot Smith and Wesson with wood grips. Its estimated value was not listed in the report.
Not knowing how the gun got into the luggage or when, the woman returned the weapon to the case and brought the carry-on to the Cape police station. She submitted the pistol as found property, but stated that she wanted it back after the necessary processes were completed.
The gun was submitted into property with a forensic request form to check for any fingerprints and such to link it to criminal activity.