Tulsa Police investigate a series of business burglaries

Wednesday, September 8th 2004, 11:08 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa Police are looking for a selective burglar who hit near 51st and Lewis in Tulsa. The crook took the time to break into five different businesses, but only stole one inexpensive item.

News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright explains.

Fresh plaster covers a hole the burglars punched in a wall in hopes of reaching through and unlocking the deadbolt to a physical therapy business. When that didn't work, they used a crowbar to pry open the backdoor and get inside.

Victim Nancy Cyr: "The only thing they took was a credit car machine, which is weird with all the computers and equipment we have in here. But, they only took the credit card machine." The machine used to hang on some screws, the burglars ran a couple of transactions through the machine on Labor Day, which only puts money into the business' bank account, which doesn't make much sense.

Across the hall, there are all kinds of things to steal, but the burglars rifled through drawers and only took a few blank checks. How they got in, is the mystery. Victim Larry Oliver: "I don't know how they got in because the front and back doors were locked and there isn't any breaking there."

The tenants all want to know how the burglars got through the doors to get into the businesses. Were the doors accidentally left unlocked or did the person have a key? They all agree it was a lot of work for little reward.

Upstairs in a doctor's office, another patched up hole where they broke in, rifled through files, but stole nothing, no drugs, no equipment. Two doors down, a pediatrician's door was pried open, but again, he can't find anything missing. Cameras might be the only hope for getting answers to this strange mystery that has victims and police alike scratching their heads.

The property management company says the surveillance videotapes were set on a 72 hour loop beginning Thursday, so they should have run through Sunday. However, Tulsa Police tell the News on 6, they looked at the video and it actually ran out Friday afternoon, so the identity of the suspects will remain a mystery.