Suspect Burglarizes, Vandalizes Veteran's Charity Organization

Days before we honor veterans, Oklahoma City police search for a man who stole from metro veterans. The suspect targeted the 40-8 Veteran's Charity Organization in southwest Oklahoma City.

This is not the first or second time the organization has been vandalized. One of the officers said the third time, the suspect destroyed the AC units.

“He’s a young guy,” said Lewis Collins, VFW officer. “He’s got a modern, new pickup and I just want to know why he doesn’t apply that kind of hard work and time on a real job rather than stealing something. That really upsets me.”

In just under an hour, the man dismantled the units and took the compressor and motors. The 15 ton units have since been replaced, costing the organization thousands of dollars.

“It’s not uncommon to see compressors get stolen out of air conditioning units,” said Msgt. Gary Knight, Oklahoma City Police Department. “Because they can take the copper from them and take them to a metal recycling place and trade that for cash.”

There was also a woman in the suspect's truck. After a while, she gets out of the truck and walks away. The vandal then goes to a shed to do more damage.

“He kicked the door in there,” said Collins. “Stole another older lawnmower and some other things and took off.”

But the newly installed cameras were watching and that could be what leads police to the crook.

“You know good and well he does that to other places,” said Collins. “He’ll do it again and you can bet that will help catch him

Last year someone broke into the same building and stole a riding lawnmower and several other items. Not long after the AC units were stripped of the copper wiring.