Woman Arrested In Tulsa 3 Times In The Last Month

Tulsa Police arrested a woman for a third time in just the last month for burglary and having stolen property.

Police arrested Melissa Sweet for burglary in August. She bonded out, then was arrested a week later, bonded out, and was arrested again Thursday. Police searched Melissa Sweet's car Thursday and found a backpack full of stolen stuff, like IDs and credit cards, belonging to 11 different victims.

The TPD Burglary Unit said Sweet has spent her summer stealing from innocent victims; now they have several file folders full of cases tied to Sweet.

"Throughout the time we've had different surveillance videos that have shown up and popped up that showed us suspect information and suspect vehicles. Detective Kuerbitz did some follow-up and determined this was our individual that was committing these or was involved with these,” said Lieutenant Tim Means.

Police said Sweet broke into a home in Rogers County in August and stole several items. That victim used GPS to track her property to a car parked at a Tulsa apartment. Police arrested Sweet, but she bonded out, and then a week later, police said a homeowner caught Sweet on surveillance video stealing from him. Detectives recognized Sweet and her car in the video.

"It had been to that house more than once. There was more than one instance where the vehicle and these suspects were seen at this house,” said Means.

Sweet bonded out of jail again, but this week, police searched her car and found the backpack full of stolen credit cards, checks, and ID's.

"I don't know if she does it for a living or if there is another reason. She's doing it whether it is to support a habit, I'm not sure, but I would consider this person a serial burglar or serial thief,” said Means.

Lieutenant Means said serial thieves like Sweet create a lot of victims.

"It is kind of a revolving door for us. We see a lot of the same people over and over because there’s a lot of different things that happen through the court system where they don't do a lot of time in prison,” said Means.

Records show Sweet pled guilty to stealing in 2005 and 2011 and was given deferred sentences for both.