TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa Police have arrested a man suspected of stealing a dinosaur from a souvenir shop on Route 66 back in December.
According to the authorities, Bob Morton was arrested on Monday, January 31st, after the Tulsa Police Downtown IMPACT Team conducted a search.
Authorities found the suspect near 17th and Denver Ave. in Tulsa. Morton was charged with malicious injury or destruction of property petit larceny, two counts of malicious injury to property after a conviction, larceny of copper after a felony conviction, possession of burglary tools, two counts of grand larceny, and transporting stolen copper.
The man was caught on camera stealing the large dinosaur statue from Decopolis—an art deco-themed museum —on December 26th.
The video was shared on Facebook by Decopolis, and it showed the man taking the life-size dinosaur on his shoulder and walking away.
The suspect was also linked to crimes of vandalizing and stealing various copper plaques from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists near 15th and South Boulder and theft at a church that resulted in $10,000 damage.
Authorities said that Morton confessed to some of the crimes.
Records demonstrate that the suspect has spent time in jail due to robbery, burglary, and larceny since 2004.
The owner of the shop bought another statue to replace the Deinonychus, and police have not found the missing piece yet.
Sources
