Tulsa police arrested 23-year-old Justin Barberousse after he was caught stealing from an older woman Saturday morning and breaking into a vehicle afterwards.
85-year-old Dorthy Gardner woke up just before 4-o-clock in the morning at her home off 32nd Street and South Memorial Drive listening to someone opening and shutting her jewelry chest drawers. She stepped out into her hallway and a Barberousse was in her hallways holding one of her pillow cases, using it as a sack to hold the items he was stealing and then he pulled out a hand-gun and pointed it at Gardner.
“He came out and he looked at me and I yelled ‘What are you doing on my house?’ and then he stepped around and pulled out his gun from his back and he said, ‘Back off, back off’ and then he ran off,” described Gardner. “It was a small gun, but they look big when you are looking down the barrel.”
Barberousse left and Gardner called the police. TPD arrived and showed Gardner where Barberousse had thrown a brick threw the back glass door. It shattered the glass and the brick was still left inside.
“There was glass everywhere,” said Gardner.
“He stole my costume jewelry and my pearls that my husband bought me in 1966. I still have the receipt but now the necklace is gone. “
She was also unhappy he stole one of her matching pillowcases.
“That dirty dog, he took my matching pillowcase. I wish I could have punched him and said ‘Where is my stuff? You took my things!’”
She joked but she was upset and said she felt violated.
“It could have been worse, I am lucky he did not beat me up because I take a blood thinner and I could have bled to death. “
Tulsa Police say Gardner was lucky but they would not recommend doing what she did – confronting the intruder. They said to stay in the room and barricade the entrance, then call 911 and stay on the phone even if you cannot talk that way the call is recorded for any sound.
Barberousse was reported breaking into a car within a few blocks from Gardner’s home and then officers saw him trying to run away. Officers surrounded him and he dropped to the ground around 31st Street and Memorial Drive behind Cavenders store. In the police report it states,
“Listed suspect turned to me and stated freely, ‘can I at least go and tell the old lady that I’m sorry? I’m not a bad person.’”
Gardner was told what Barberousse said. She replied with, “He is not sorry. He is just sorry he got caught.”
