Guns Stolen From Roberti Recall Leader’s Home : Politics: William A. Dominguez calls the break-in suspicious. The state senator’s staff cites his firearms as proof of the movement’s hidden agenda.

An outspoken gun-control opponent who heads the recall effort against state Sen. David A. Roberti has reported the theft of $12,500 worth of guns from his Van Nuys apartment--an incident that both sides in the recall campaign brought into the political arena Wednesday.

William A. Dominguez, who is also a candidate to replace Roberti in the recall election, reported the burglary to police Tuesday.

In an interview Wednesday, Dominguez said 15 guns were taken in a burglary the day before, including at least three semiautomatic weapons.

Dominguez denied that any of the weapons are illegal or are assault weapons of the type banned by a landmark 1989 law authored by Roberti, a Van Nuys Democrat.

Roberti has contended that the recall is the work of gun enthusiasts seeking revenge.

Dominguez called the break-in suspicious because of his involvement in the recall movement.

“It really makes me a little nervous,” he said. “I’m not a paranoid type, but I actually have a feeling it was politically motivated. I’m sure Roberti will try to use it.”

In fact, Roberti’s political staff was gloating over the situation, contending that the revelation that Dominguez owned so many firearms should discredit the recall leadership’s claim that they are not agents of gun enthusiasts.

“This person is obviously an avid gun collector with an arsenal,” said Staci Walters, Roberti’s campaign press secretary. “The recall proponents say they are just good-government activists, but these people are not being truthful. . . . It’s just a smoke screen.”

Walters also said the senator was concerned that the stolen weapons might be used to commit crimes. She called Dominguez’s suggestions that the break-in might have been politically motivated “ridiculous.”

Dominguez, 43, is a systems analyst with Transamerica Insurance Group. The Cuban native said he fled his homeland in the early 1960s because he was in trouble with the regime of Fidel Castro as a result of his father’s political activities.

Dominguez is the leader of the Coalition to Restore Government Integrity, an umbrella organization for a number of groups--some of which are financed by gun interests--that has forced Roberti into a recall election April 12.

Dominguez denied that his weapons collection constituted an arsenal, saying: “I like antique and collector guns, and I like to shoot. These are not cheap guns.”

In the robbery, seven rifles, including three semiautomatics--among them two Chinese-made SKS carbines--four pistols and four shotguns were stolen, he said.

Among the pistols was a World War I-vintage Luger worth $1,800, he said.

Lt. Richard Blankenship, chief of detectives of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Van Nuys Division, said Dominguez did not have the serial numbers of the guns readily available to match against purchase records of pistols bought from gun dealers.

“That is not uncommon,” Blankenship said. “We would hope the victim has those serial numbers someplace and that we will be able to obtain them, so we can put those weapons in the stolen-firearms system and we can greatly increase the chance of recovering those weapons down the road.”

Dominguez said he kept the weapons in a gun safe, which he also reported stolen.

“It was a protection against a casual burglar, not against a professional,” he said.

Police said the burglar or burglars pried open a front sliding-glass door. “We have some neighbors that saw some things that may or may not lead to suspects,” Blankenship said. “Obviously, with the dollar amount, there will be a follow-up.”