Flat-screen TV’s are hot items during the holiday shopping season but for thieves they’re hot year-round.
Crooks are finding flat-screen TV’s in homes and in a lot of businesses.
FOX23’s Abbie Alford spoke to one business with plenty of pricey items but it was the flat-screen TV that made it a target.
Behind the glass windows there are rows of expensive computers and laptops. At Modern Computers police say a thief wanted the flat-screen TV that was standing on an entertainment center.
Police say many thieves duck from the surveillance cameras but their images are still caught on tape.
In the early morning hours on October 31st, surveillance pictures show a thief casing Modern Computers near the 81st and Memorial location.
"He peers through the glass and looks at what they have and sees the flat-screen TV,” says Tulsa Police Burglary Detective Donnie Wright.
The infrared camera caught a clear shot of the crook as he bashed in the glass door with a rock. However, the thief doesn’t go straight for the computers.
"That was the first thing he saw when he looked in the glass. Through the glass he saw the flat-screen TV and that was his main target," says Wright.
Jeremy Lance with Modern Computers says after the thief loaded his black 1997 Cadillac Sedan Deville with the TV he went back to try to steal an expensive computer.
"He tried to get it but it was locked to both desks so he gave up on that," says Lance.
Lance says the thief ended up getting away with the cheapest laptop and a 37 inch flat-screen TV.
However, Lance says he wasn’t expecting the business to be targeted because of its TV.
"We kind of assumed that we didn't have a huge TV and it wasn't extremely expensive and maybe they would notice that and not come after us," says Lance.
That wasn’t the case for the thieves who went after Bodean’s Restaurant in South Tulsa.
"They tried to get the television and they couldn't get it off the wall," says Wright.
They even tried to destroy the evidence.
"Covers his head up too late looks straight at the camera," says Wright. "He busts the [camera] and it's still playing."
After twenty minutes of ransacking the restaurant and shouting orders to each other the four thieves got away with cash and their images on tape.
"Obviously they know the camera is there but again they make mistakes, you'll see them come back out without their hoodies," says Wright.
Mistakes that police hope will get the thieves caught.
Police say a majority of the stolen flat-screen TV’s are not ending up in pawn shops but they are being sold on the street. However, they recommend you keep track of your serial numbers on high dollar items. Police say when they arrest the bad guys they’ll find stacks of TV’s in the bad guy’s homoe but say they cannot prove the TV’s were stolen unless the TV and the serial number were reported stolen.
To learn how to better keep track of your serial numbers click on the free “Business/Home Watch” link on the top right side of this page.
If you have any information about these crimes call Crime Stoppers at (918) 596-COPS (2677) or text a tip to “CRIMES” (274637) and begin your message with “TIP918” or you can submit a tip online at www.tipsubmit.com. Remember you never have to give your name and your tip could lead to a cash reward.
