Two Men Caught Breaking Into Tulsa Church School

Police arrested two men who they said broke into Augustine Christian Academy early Monday.

Officers were called to the private church school at 6310 East 30th Street at 10:42 a.m. September 4 on a burglary in progress call.

They were identified as Michael Payne, 31, and Carl Ball, 28.

Unfortunately for the thieves, the school is monitored by cameras 24/7 and personally watched by school administrators like John Ahrens.  He saw the men and then came out to check the school, before calling police.

"I was able to see that there were two people who had entered the premises," said John Ahrens.

School surveillance pictures show officers escorting both men, Michael Payne and Carl Ball out of the school shortly after they were spotted.  

Officers formed a perimeter around the school while a K-9 Officer Robert Marcus and partner went inside. They arrested Carl Ball, who got a K-9 bite in the process.

A second suspect, Michael Payne, ran off while handcuffed and had to be tackled by Officer Kendall Jobe in the 3000 block of South Sheridan Avenue. 

It's not the first time Payne has taken off while in handcuffs. Earlier this year, he hid out in a Tulsa neighborhood while cuffed. Payne dodged Tulsa County Sheriff's deputies and police Easter Sunday, til they finally tracked him down where he was hiding in a hedge.

4/17/2017 Related Story: Tulsa Police Capture Escaped Suspect Hiding In Neighborhood

A warrant had been issued for his arrest in June on those charges.

Both Jobe and Payne had minor injuries, a news release states.  Carl Ball was taken to the hospital and booked on complaints of second-degree burglary, resisting arrest and false impersonation. 

The second suspect, Michael Payne, was booked on complaints of second-degree burglary and escaping arrest. 

School administrators say in light of Monday's incident they cancelled class on Tuesday.

"They did do some damage to our offices but they didn't get away with anything. It's just a mess to clean up now," said John Ahrens.  "It's important to get that taken care of before we let students back on site."

Ahrens says they've been at this location for 15 of the 20 years they've been educating Tulsa kids and they've never had a problem before.  But he says there's a first for everything.