Thefts Caught On Tape

Tuesday, November 20th 2007, 9:38 pm

By: News On 6

Thieves steal thousands of dollars in high end clothing. The north Tulsa shop has been hit twice in the past few days. The News On 6â€™s crime reporter Lori Fullbright reports the owner is frustrated because the break-ins have been happening since last year.

While the News On 6 was at the store, an amazing thing happened; a friend of the owner stopped in for a visit, heard about the break-in, then learned his own brother was one of the suspects. This man, Tank, located his 14-year-old brother, brought him back to the store and demanded he admit his crime, name the other suspects and find the stolen goods.

A surveillance video from last Friday night clearly shows seven young people breaking into a clothing store near Pine and Peoria called Image. The store had just gotten a shipment for the holidays and they spent hours putting items on the racks, just to see it leave by the armloads.

"It's just a bad thing all the way around. These kids have no home training, no respect for people and their property. I was brought up to work, get out there and work. These cats just steal,â€ said owner Barry Wright.

Two of the young men came back Monday night and did it all over again. They broke the front glass door, raced inside, ignoring the cameras and blaring alarm. They left with thousands of dollars more in Barry's inventory.

"It's like you're being violated, but, if I stay up here and shoot one of these kids, then you'll be the bad guy,â€ said owner Barry Wright.

Barry Wright got word the boys were trying to sell the stolen, $200 jeans for $5-$10 each. He also got the names and addresses of some of the suspects. A buddy of Barry's noticed one of the names was his 14 year old step-brother, so he found the teenager and brought him to face up to Barry.

Since the juvenile justice system won't even take a 14 year old on a burglary charge, Barry decided his best bet was to have this 14 year old, give up the names of other suspects and help him track down his stolen goods.

The News On 6 talked to the 14 year old's mother on Tuesday at the store. She yelled. She cried. But, she says it's hard when she works two jobs and he sneaks out at night to run with rough kids. He has one brother in prison and his other brother, the one in our story, served 13 years. They are trying to keep this one from the same fate.

Image owner Barry Wright says he doesn't want these kids locked away, but he does want them punished. He's now ordered a $3,800 steel door that will cover the front of his store every night, in hopes of stopping the thefts.

Watch the video: Store Owner Tired Of Break-Ins

WEB EXTRA: Surveillance Tape Of Break-Ins