Tree Trimmers Help Catch Burglars

A team of tree trimmers becomes neighborhood heroes after spotting a break-in, and then helping police catch the suspects.  The News On 6's crime reporter Lori Fullbright reports the crew was on a job in south Tulsa, when they saw three burglars come right out the front door of a home, carrying a big TV and a computer.

That's when these tree trimmers sprang into action.

They are used to tackling big trees and big jobs, but on Monday, they faced something new, something totally unexpected.

They were on the job when a neighbor told them she'd heard someone kick in a door and she'd called police.  The tree trimmers stood right in front of the bad guys' get-away truck, blocking their path.

"We confronted them. I said guys, you may as well hang out, the cops are going to be here any minute. Instantly, as soon as it sank in, they dropped what they were doing and split," said Todd Rickert of Rickert Tree Service.

The teenage criminals not only left the loot, they even left behind their truck.  When officers got there, the suspects were gone, but, the tree trimmers weren't finished yet.  They drove around the area and sure enough, spotted the burglars again.

"I flagged him down quick and said there they are, let's go get him. He hightailed it to them and he pulled in one way, we pulled in the other. He said get down on the ground. One of them did, but the other one ran," said Todd Rickert.

Officers arrested a 19 year old, a 17 year old and a 15 year old.

The tree trimmers turned good Samaritans say it was an adrenalin rush and they're glad it all turned out okay in the end.

"Was a good feeling at the end of the day, teamwork, cops doing their job plus us helping out by being there," said Todd Rickert.

The man whose door was kicked in tells The News On 6 he was so thankful to the tree trimmers and very appreciative about getting his stuff back and knowing the burglars were caught.