Tulsa Police Hope Recent Arrests Allow Community To Breathe Easy

Two men are in jail accused of robbery. Detectives said they believe the men are major players in a crew that's committed several recent robberies in East Tulsa.

7/17/2018 Related Story: Police Take 2 Men Into Custody Connected To Several Tulsa Robberies

Police have been working around the clock for a week with very little sleep on these robberies because some victims were pistol-whipped, others were shot, and detectives were afraid someone would get killed if they didn't make an arrest soon.

Officers arrested Donnie Connor after they say he admitted to one robbery where he and a partner approached a man in his driveway, pointed a gun at him, made him get on the ground, and stole his wallet.
 
They also arrested Daniel Santa Cruz who admitted to being with Connor during that robbery and still had the victim's driver's license.

"Eastside street crimes did a car stop that could not have been better, they did an amazing job," said Sergeant Brandon Watkins with the TPD Robbery Unit. 

They say Santa Cruz was driving that car and that's when they found the victim's driver's license. Officers then located his partner, Donnie Connor, at a nearby Motel 6.
 
Detectives said this has been a high priority case.

"You're kind of spurred on by the fear someone is going to end up dead if you don't get these guys," Watkins said. 

Police believe the two men are part of a larger crew responsible for several robberies. They believe now it won't take long to round up the other players.

"They're a lot more organized, often more violent. You get a couple of young knuckleheads together, they do things that they would not do by themselves," Watkins said. 

He said the victims were chosen at random and he hopes these arrests help people breathe a little easier.

"I'm hoping people are able to go out and go to work early in the morning without the fear of getting carjacked, shot, or beaten," Watkins said. 

Police said they knew if they were patient and persistent, it would pay off and now it has.