TULSA, Okla. – The Tulsa power outages have increased the fear of vandalism and burglaries among business owners and the wider community.
The concerns are warranted after Tulsa PD reported a string of incidents.
At least two burglaries occurred on Wednesday. In the early hours, a suspect broke the glass door at the Metro store on Admiral and walked away with a Bluetooth speaker. After canvassing the area, officers located suspect Joseph Rushing carrying a Bluetooth speaker. Once in custody, Rushing admitted to the burglary. (Tulsa Police Department Facebook)
The next burglary occurred at the same business after the vandalized door had been boarded up. The suspect went ahead and entered the business after breaking a window.
Upon arrival, TPD noticed a suspicious man standing beside a trash bin filled with boxes and iPhones near the business. (Tulsa Police Department Facebook) That man was later identified as Pedro Gaytan-Torres who was arrested for 2nd Degree Burglary and obstructing an officer.
Tulsa police have had to staff more officers to deal with criminals capitalizing on the power outages. TPD says they have made multiple arrests because of generator thefts and more.
