Tulsa Homeowner Uses Duct Tape To Trap Teen Vandals

An East Tulsa homeowner took matters into his own hands when intruders repeatedly break into his vacant home.

The house, which is for sale and located near 161st East Avenue and Admiral Road, has been targeted by vandals and people looking for a place to party.

Last night, the owner was waiting for them with duct tape and a gun.

"The homeowner used duct and tied it around one of the suspect's legs so he couldn't run away as well as tied it around his arms," Tulsa Police Cpl. Brett Bilyeu said.

A few nights of mischief and a homeowner is fuming.

"That man just spent a lot of money fixing the inside of that house," neighbor Michael Morrison said.

Neighbors say the police have been to the vacant home every day since last Thursday, hoping to catch the intruders who kicked in the back door and partied.

The owner, who didn't want to go on camera, said whomever was in his house ate Cheetos, drank soda and smoked marijuana. He says they even vandalized the inside of the home with spray paint.

The owner said through people in the neighborhood they were able to find pictures of the intruders on Facebook.

Fed up, he staked out the home on Sunday night.

"He was sick of it," neighbor Marty Jones said. "[He was] hiding back there behind the tree waiting on them, and sure enough, they showed up.

The homeowner said he fired his gun into the ground to scare the trespassers. He managed to catch one and restrain his hands and feet with duct tape.

"The homeowner had one of them down and I just happened to see one of them take off down the street on a bike," Jones said.

Jones said he caught the teen around the corner.

"He knew he was in trouble, knew he was some place he shouldn't have been," Jones said. "Told him just don't move."

"I don't blame him for his frustration," Morrison said. "I probably would have done the same thing."

Police arrested the boys, who are 13 and 15 years old, but the homeowner said those were not the same intruders from last week.

"The kids they caught were not the ones that spray-painted inside the house," Marty said. "They were over here because the other ones were over here. They were just the unlucky ones."

The homeowner said he wasn't intending to hurt anyone, but didn't want anyone taking advantage of the property.

He hopes it will stop.

Police say the homeowner didn't do anything wrong, but if you are having problems, you can request a watch order and an officer will periodically drive by your home if time allows.