Tulsa Neighborhood Unites To Prevent Recent String Of Burglaries

A recent rash of burglaries in west Tulsa has neighbors worried about who will be targeted next.

They said in the past three weeks, burglars have broken into four homes in the 400 block of West 40th Avenue and attempted to break into two more.

They've gotten away with jewelry, cash and even Christmas presents and so far; and the residents are working together to prevent any more crimes.

Almost every house on the street has been broken into. Neighbors say it's incredibly troubling.

They've used everything from barking dogs to security systems to prevent the burglaries; recently one of the neighbors stopped them before they got inside of their sixth target.

"They kicked the door. There is a dent right there, and then they ripped this off," said resident, Kevin Avey.

Avey said he and his wife, along with their three small children, were all asleep when the would-be burglar tried to come in through the back door.

"We were in there in bed and heard a big bang. I came running outside and saw someone jump over the fence," Avey said.

One neighbor said the burglars tried the window first, then the back door.

"They went through all of his doors, to the closet, to the bathroom. They looked through the medicine cabinet and through stuff on the floor," she said.

She said the thieves got away with jewelry, blank checks and a few other items.

Neighbor Christie Davis stopped the most recent burglary when she saw a strange SUV pull into her neighbors' drive way.

"One guy got out the passenger seat and was going to the side of the house pushing up the windows,” Davis said.

She went and yelled at him to stop.

“As soon as I called the cops, they ran and jumped in the car and took off," she said.

Now the neighbors are keeping an eye out for each other, taking turns staying up throughout the night.

"We are trying to make ourselves more visible and let people know, ‘Hey we are watching our street,'" Davis said.

Neighbors are also leaving their porch lights on throughout the night and many have installed security cameras.