Thieves Ruin Tulsa Man's First Father's Day

Thieves ruin a Tulsa man’s first Father’s Day by stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of new landscaping equipment.

The getaway was caught on camera and the victim hopes someone recognizes the truck.

It was Chris Giddings first ever Father’s Day, but he decided to run by his shop that afternoon.  He found the garage door to his business wide open and a trailer loaded with equipment was gone – a loss of around $26,000.

Giddings and his wife had just welcomed little Stella Marie into their family a few weeks before that and he was counting on his new business to provide food for his table, and for his workers too.

“It’s like gut wrenching, basically, because I work my tail off and my guys work their tails off.  We work for everything we have,” said Giddings.

Video shows the thieves driving into the lot and, 20 minutes later, drive out again – hauling Giddings’ trailer filled with new equipment purchased just 45 days before.

The truck looks like an older Ford F-150 extended cab with a tool box behind the window and another along the side of the bed.  It appears to have damage on the driver’s side under the headlight.

“I don’t get upset very often.  I’m pretty laid back, but stuff like that, it’s a personal blow and it makes you want to go out and find them,” said Giddings.

Just when he was trying to expand, to support his growing family, Giddings said he had to cut loose about a dozen customers and now he’s buying the equipment all over again.

“I don’t even know how to explain it,” he said.  “It’s one of those feelings I don’t ever want to feel.”

If you see the suspect’s vehicle or the equipment, call Crime Stoppers at (918)596-COPS.