New Garden Township Police are working to recover a cache of semi-automatic handguns allegedly stolen during a residential burglary on Aug. 15 in the 300 block of Bucktoe Road.

Police said they were contacted by the homeowners, who reported that they returned home from vacation and found the front door of their residence unlocked and a door leading into a second floor bedroom damaged from being forcibly opened. They reported numerous valuable items missing from various parts of the residence, including jewelry and five handguns, a police press release said.

Investigators learned that the victims’ daughter’s boyfriend, Tyler Snyder, had stolen items from the house in the past. During an interview with the victim’s daughter, she confirmed dating Snyder, 24, of West Grove, for approximately a year. Police learned that while the victims were on vacation, Snyder came to the house and stayed overnight with his friend, Benjamin C. DeRitter, before traveling to Wilmington, to buy drugs with the proceeds from the stolen property, the release said.

On Aug. 16, police interviewed DeRitter, 20, of Landenberg, and following the execution of a search warrant on DeRitter’s cellphone for an unrelated investigation, police recovered an image of a Glock model 36 semi-automatic .45 caliber handgun taken on Aug. 9. DeRitter confessed to conspiring with Snyder to sell two stolen handguns “on the street” in Wilmington, Delaware. DeRitter acknowledged knowing the guns were stolen and loaded when they sold weapons a drug dealer in trade for several bundles of heroin, crack cocaine and money, the release said.

During an interview with Snyder, he confessed to selling two handguns in Wilmington during the week of August 10 and to receiving several bundles of heroin along with an unknown amount of money in exchange for the handguns, the release said.

Investigators from the New Garden Township Police Department have been working with law enforcement in Delaware to recover the stolen weapons. To date, police have been advised that one handgun was recovered on a traffic stop after police made contact with a subject wanted for an attempted homicide who was in possession of one of the stolen weapons. The investigation is continuing.

Snyder and DeRitter face charges that include theft of firearms, conspiracy and burglary. According to court records, Snyder is in Chester County Prison after failing to post cash bail of $15,000; a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 18. Police said they expect DeRitter to turn himself in shortly.

The following handguns were reported stolen: a Glock Model 36, .45 caliber, semi-automatic handgun; a Springfield Model 1911, .45 caliber, semi-automatic handgun; a Smith & Wesson Chief Special, .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, which was recovered; a Stirling unknown model, .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun; a Stirling unknown model, .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun, the release said.

Police said the investigation is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to contact New Garden Township Police Sgt. Keith Cowdright at 610-268-2907, ext. 102, or kcowdright@ngpd.org.