The Galveston County sheriff's office says they discovered two unloaded handguns on top of an 18-foot-tall shed at a facility used for an inmate work program.
Sheriff Henry Trochesset tells the Galveston County Daily News that the handguns, which weren't in working condition, were found Aug. 19 after the office got a tip. He said they are looking into the possibility that a deputy was responsible.
Trouchesset says the weapons, which came from the sheriff's office evidence room, were marked in the department's internal records as having been destroyed on July 29.
Trouchesset said inmates routinely destroy confiscated unloaded weapons under the supervision of deputies at the facility, which is used for the jail's continuing skills program.
Policy changes after the incident include preventing inmates from dismantling confiscated weapons.