Before the sun rose on Sunday, two unarmed security guards patrolling the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds were confronted by two masked and armed suspects who broke into one of the exhibit halls being used for the Turlock Gun Show and made off with 33 handguns.

Despite a significant response from the Turlock Police Department and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, the two suspects were able to escape with the stolen firearms by crawling through a hole in one of the gates at the fairgrounds.

Around 4:30 a.m. Sunday, the two security guards, who were hired by the gun show, were making their rounds inside one of the buildings when they were surprised by two armed suspects wearing ski masks and dark clothing. The robbers pointed their guns at the guards, who were able to run to safety and call the police, said Turlock Police spokeswoman Dominique Sanchez.

Both the Turlock Police Department and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department responded to the fairgrounds and quickly set up a perimeter around the area. An indoor drone and a K9 were used to search the building for the suspects and when they were not located, the officers and deputies made entry and confirmed the suspects had gotten away.

One stolen firearm and a ski mask were found at the scene. The investigators tallied up the total and found 33 firearms, all handguns, had been stolen from the vendor booths, Sanchez said.

The police department is working with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on the case. The serial numbers from the stolen handguns have been entered into the Automated Firearms System, which will flag the weapons as stolen if anyone is caught with one or if someone tries to register one.

The gun show was promoted by California Gun Shows LLC and sells new and used firearms, ammunition, gear and accessories.

This was not the first case of a big heist targeting an event at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds has occurred this year. In March, three suspects stole nearly a half million in gems and jewelry from the Mother Lode Mineral Society Turlock Rock and Gem show at the fairgrounds.

The theft happened around 5 p.m. on March 11. The show had closed down for the day and organizers were finishing a few jobs when a commotion was heard in the exhibit area.

Witnesses said they saw an Indian man behind one of the vendor booths with a white garbage bag filled with gems and jewelry.

The suspect, seeing that he had been spotted by two people, fled out the building with the laden bag of purloined merchandise. One woman chased after the suspect and saw him jump into the passenger seat of a black Kia Sedona, which promptly fled the area.

The witnesses told the investigating officer that it was believed the suspect gained entry to the facility after the close of the show by hiding underneath one of the draped tables.

The security guard hired for the show told the police officer that he did not see the theft but had noticed an Indian man in a red and white plaid shirt and blue jeans pacing outside the arch gates shortly before the theft occurred.

A review of the surveillance footage from the fairgrounds showed the Kia speeding away with the driver and two occupants. A license plate number could not be obtained, according to the police report.

The stolen merchandise all came from Pameer Gem and Jewelry and included lose gems, diamond rings, bracelets and other pieces of jewelry. The loss was estimated at $400,000 to $500,000.

The suspects in the jewelry heist have not been identified.

Anyone with information about the stolen handguns is asked to contact the Turlock Police Department at (209) 668-5550.