Police Want To Stop Repeat Burglar

By Lori Fullbright, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- A repeat burglar is hitting Tulsa businesses at a record pace.  He's already broken into 45 places and it's clear he won't let up until he's caught.  The suspect and his buddy are really ticking off the cops who are working around the clock to find them.

They use a rock, brick or chunk of concrete, toss it through the front glass, run in and steal flat screen TVs and computers.

Some surveillance video from the First National Bank on November 6^th shows him breaking the glass, and running inside where he grabs a big screen TV from the lobby.

Police suspect he has a buddy who drives the get-away car.  Sometimes they wear masks.  Sometimes not.  They hit one Barber King location twice.

"The first time they broke in, broke out the front door and kicked in the little door, took three flat screens, two DVD players and some clippers," said Cliff Rogers with Barber King.

The men see what they want and then strike, usually around three or four in the morning and in and out in less than 60 seconds.

"If viewers are out at 4 a.m. and see somebody parked at a business that's closed, at bare minimum call us to come check on it. If an alarm goes off, their car description could be the break we're waiting for," said Tulsa Police Sgt. Brandon Watkins.

They may be in a black Ford Explorer or black car and police don't think they're pawning the TVs or maybe selling them on the street or online.

"We urge any burglary victim to check Craig's list or eBay and look for stolen stuff. A lot of stolen merchandise gets moved through eBay and Craig's list, especially Craig's list, it's little more than a black market," said Tulsa Police Sgt. Brandon Watkins.

Businesses are equally anxious to get the burglars caught.  Replacing broken glass and stolen goods is expensive in an economy that's already tough.

"I'm in here seven days a week. I figure if I can work seven days a week, least somebody can get a job and work for five days a week and get own money instead of kicking doors in," said Cliff Rogers with Barber King.

Detectives are working extra hours, overnight and officers on the graveyard shift on the east side and south side have been briefed and they're poised to race to business alarms.

Anyone with information on the burglaries can call Crimestoppers at 596-COPS.