Tulsa Police Arrest Father, Son Accused Of String Of Burglaries

A Green Country father and son are in jail together after they were arrested Tuesday morning in a raid of what police are calling a family burglary ring.

Police arrested five people during their raid. Two of those were juveniles, the other was the matriarch of the family. We talked with her Tuesday after she was released, and she said some of stolen goods were locked in her son's bedroom, and she never went in it.

Bill Smith didn't plan to spend his Tuesday afternoon digging a new hole for his sons' old basketball goal.

"Just shows lack of respect for all ages," Smith said. "I mean, why take a basketball goal?"

The Smiths just got their goal back, after it turned up stolen earlier in the week.

"It's worth nothing to them. It's worth a lot to my son," he said.

But Smith said the stealing didn't stop there.

"They took my briefcase, my wallet, my Social Security card, driver's license--all my identity stuff," Smith said.

The goal is all that's been recovered. It was found in the backyard of a home where Tracy Fossett lives with his wife, 14-year-old son and 18-year-old stepson, Tyler Boyd.

Police say they've connected Tracy Fossett, his two teens and a 16-year-old friend to at least five burglaries.

"Some parents, it's all they know. Like father, like son in some cases," Smith said. "If that's all you know, that's all you can pass on to your kids, unfortunately."

Police say they recovered several stolen items from the family's home.

Fossett's wife, Cathy, was questioned by police then released. She said, if her family was stealing, she had no idea.

"You know, I know nothing about it. I don't do those kinds of things. I don't know," Cathy said.

Police say the family was preying on people in their neighborhood, and no home was off limits.

"They stole a 42-inch TV and a laptop computer," said John Hoffman.

Hoffman shares a fence with the Fossetts.

"They kicked the back door in with a big foot print on the back door," he said.

Hoffman's damaged door has been fixed, and now his neighbor is sending an apology, hoping it helps repair the broken trust in their neighborhood.

"I feel bad for the people they hurt and I'm sorry. I mean, there's nothing else I could say except I'm sorry," Cathy said.

Tulsa detective J.B. Bennett said the suspects used a fake sawed-off shotgun to scare one victim while they ransacked his house.

"These young men entered a house while a person was present and menaced him with this simulated firearm while they took things from his house," Bennett said.

Police say they connected the dots through a TV the family had stolen and pawned.

The arrests are part of a new task force, funded by the federal government, that's aimed at reducing burglaries.

It was only formed a few weeks ago, but police say they've already made 12 arrests.

Police say Cathy Fossett and the two juveniles questioned Tuesday may also end up facing charges.