Tulsa Man Escapes Armed Robbery In His Home, 2 Arrested

A Tulsa man is sharing the story of a terrifying experience he went through last weekend, when he was tied up and robbed inside his own home.

He went home Saturday for lunch and was working on his computer, when a man with a gun walked right inside, through an open garage door.

Tom McCarver hopes his story will make others think harder about their security.

"When I went around this way, he followed my motions, he got behind me and told me to put my hands behind my back," McCarver said.

At first, he thought it was a joke when he saw a man standing in his kitchen Saturday afternoon.

"Just as I rounded the corner, he stood up behind the island and drew down on me," McCarver said.

11/16/2013 Related Story: Armed Robber Hits East Tulsa Home Through Open Garage

When he saw the gun and heard the man cock it, McCarver knew he was in serious trouble. He had no choice but to do as he was told, so he got face down on the floor and the man tied his hands with zip ties and a lamp cord.

"I just assumed I was dead," he said.

The man took McCarver's wallet and money clip out of his pockets, then demanded more. That's when McCarver saw his chance to escape. He told the man there were jars of coins in a back bedroom closet. The man headed to the back of the house and McCarver made a run for it.

"That's when I wiggled and started standing and got up and opened the door from behind and when I moved, I realized I was tethered to that pole lamp," McCarver said.

Still, he ran out the garage and to the neighbor's house, hands still tied behind him and dragging that lamp. McCarver tracked the thieves' movements by the charges on his stolen credit cards.

11/20/2013 Related Story: Police: Two Arrested For East Tulsa Armed Robbery

Police got surveillance video of a woman using one of them before it was shut off, and that led to the arrest of Elizabeth Hughes, who police said admitted she was the getaway driver at the robbery. Police say Russell Thorngren admitted to going into the house and robbing McCarver.

McCarver said one thing has kept him going: "It's the anger. I made it a point to let everybody know, I wasn't going to be a victim."

McCarver now makes sure his garage door is down and encourages others to do the same. He also urges people to think about what they would do if this ever happened to them, to figure out the best way to survive.