Caught on tape

Two recent crimes were caught on tape and police hope you'll recognize the suspects. The first case offers a lesson to anyone who plans to sell something in the classifieds. <br/><br/>News on 6 crime

Thursday, August 4th 2005, 11:47 am

By: News On 6

Two recent crimes were caught on tape and police hope you'll recognize the suspects. The first case offers a lesson to anyone who plans to sell something in the classifieds.

News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright says in the first case, a Tulsa woman put an ad in the classifieds to sell her brass bed. Two women came to her house on July 13th and while one went downstairs with the victim to look at the bed, the other woman stayed upstairs and stole the victim's wallet out of her purse.

Those two women immediately went on a shopping spree. A surveillance video shows them at one of their final stops, the Atwoodâ€™s in Sapulpa where they bought a window unit air conditioner. They hit eight stores within two hours, including Albertson's, Wal-Marts and Quik Trips. Both women are white and one was wearing a visor.

They stop at the front desk and order the A/C, then stand around and visit while they wait for employees to bring their purchase to the front of the store. All told, they made a lot of purchases, using the victim's stolen debit card. Police hope someone can identify them.

The other case was caught on surveillance video at the Mervyn's store at 71st and Memorial and had a more violent twist. This case involves a black man and two black women who are shopping together. The tape shows the man stuff several pairs of shoes underneath his shirt.

Security officers keep the camera on him while he goes back to the women and even appears to hide an additional pair of shoes in his clothes. After a few minutes, the man leaves with one of the women walking in front of him, as if to hide his deed. When store officers approached him outside, they say he pulled a pair of needle nose pliers and threatened them, so he got away.

The suspects who left Mervyns drove off in a tan, Chevy Corsica.

The women who stole the debit card might've been in an older model Chrysler. Anyone who is selling something needs to have at least two people present when potential buyers stop by.

If you recognize anyone in the videotapes, call Crimestoppers at 596-COPS. You don't have to give your name and you could earn a cash reward.