Talala Couple Catch Burglary Suspects, Hold Them Until Police Arrive

Some Rogers County property owners took matters into their own hands, holding suspected thieves at gunpoint until officers arrive.

The people who own the property in Talala have been hit by thieves about a half dozen times. The latest time, they were fed up, saying enough is enough.

SueAnn Hannon was working at the water department in Oologah when a neighbor called to let her know someone with a trailer was at Hannon's property in Talala taking stuff.

"That just lit a fire in me. I was going to do what I could do to catch them," SueAnn said.

While a coworker called the sheriff's office, SueAnn took off to try to stop the thieves. Although it's usually discouraged by law enforcement because of the potential for danger, she blocked them in, and her husband Benny showed up within a couple of minutes too.

"I was just mad, just mad. Asking what was he doing here," SueAnn said.

Benny, who has a concealed weapons permit, held the thieves at gunpoint and made them unload the stolen stuff until Talala Police and Rogers County Sheriff's deputies arrived.

"They need to answer for what they've done," said Benny Hannon.

Clay and Kimberly Wiley were arrested on grand larceny counts.

The Hannons said if a neighbor hadn't called, the two would have likely been gone within a matter of minutes.

"Really appreciate them. Good neighbors are hard to come by," said Benny.

Clay and Kimberly Wiley both bonded out of the Rogers County jail.

The Hannons said they were just tired of thefts happening over and over again, which have added up to thousands of dollars in losses.

"Different people have stolen air conditioners, wiring from the house, farm implements from the back of the pasture," SueAnn said.

Benny said, "After so many times of being stolen from, you want something done. You want justice."

One of the suspects arrested in the case, Clay Wiley, said the case is a big misunderstanding.

Wiley said he met a man at a Talala convenience store who told him the couple could have anything they could salvage from the property for $200. Wiley said the man took them to the property Thursday night and they returned Friday morning.

Wiley said, once the property owner made it clear that the property didn't belong to who they thought it belonged to, they urged the owner to call the sheriff's office. And they returned the few items they had loaded onto a trailer back to the property in a respectful manner.