Tulsa Police Capture Burglary Suspect Hiding In Restaurant's Ceiling

Russell Hulstine and Lori Fullbright, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Tulsa Police arrested a 23-year-old man they found hiding in the ceiling of a soon-to-be-open restaurant adjacent to a jewelry store at 48th and Yale Tuesday morning.

Tulsa Police have identified the man they as Jose Trebano.

Surveillance video shows the man taking his time to disable one of the cameras at Israel Diamond Supply. One camera goes black, and then the jewelry store's alarms goes off around 5:30 a.m.

When police arrived, they checked the outside of the building and found it secure. But one officer noticed something suspicious behind the store, an empty car with the engine running.

"I said no way, I own this car. I don't use this car. It's parked there. He said no, it's running. I said okay I promise you now there's somebody in here," said Adel Nasreddine, Israel Diamond Supply.

Police then spotted a disconnected alarm box near the roof.

"I didn't know one person could do this with no sign of anything. How did he get on the roof? I have no idea," Nasreddine said.

Nasreddine told officers he thought he heard footsteps on the roof. So Tulsa firefighters were called in to help officers onto the top of the buildings.

"They found an [open] roof hatch to the restaurant that's adjacent to the jewelry store,"said Tulsa Police Sergeant Gary Otterstrom.

Officers and a K9 unit searched the jewelry store and restaurant.

The dog found Jose Trebano hiding in the ceiling.  Officers persuaded Trebano to come down and took him into custody.

"This dog... he knew his place! He knew exactly what to do and where to go. He's one of the guys. I'd shake his hand any day of the week! It's amazing!" Nasreddine said.

Trebano was booked into the Tulsa County jail on complaints of attempted burglary, 2nd degree burglary and larceny.