Unusual Thieves Hit Businesses in Two South Tulsa Shopping Centers

Friday, October 22nd 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Police are looking for the people who burglarized eight businesses in two south Tulsa shopping centers during the late evening Sunday and the early morning hours Monday. Police say the suspects are breaking through the front door of one business, and then busting holes in the walls to get to the business next door. "The size of the holes aren't very big,â€ said Tulsa police officer Lucky Lamons. â€œIn fact, one of the holes was 7 1/2 inches wide. So we're talking someone really extremely small."

Police suspect young children to be the culprits due to the size of the holes, and the burglars are only taking petty cash and food. Business owners say kids skateboard around the shopping centers all the time.

Donna Martin owns an interior decorating shop in one of the shopping centers. The burglars hit her store, but didn't get much. She says she had heard about the break-ins and was prepared. "I took out my computers and anything that would be very hard to replace, like records,â€ she said. Martin says the burglars also busted a hole in the wall to get into the business next door.

Lamons says officers are keeping an eye on the shopping centers, but this could be a hard case to solve. "If they are kids, we don't have fingerprints of them if they haven't been arrested before,â€ he noted. â€œSo unless we catch them in the act, it's going to be hard to prove."

Most of the businesses say they've tightened security. Lamons says the businesses need to leave the lights on inside their stores, so officers can see in through the windows of their stores when they drive by. He also warns the owners not to place anything valuable near windows. Police say they have no suspects.