Midtown auto shop owner catches break-in on camera

TULSA - One midtown auto shop owner has had enough -- after a burglary and now car break-ins. Now he says he has evidence to help police find the latest suspects.

Mike's Auto-Haus at 28th and South Harvard Avenue has been the target of burglars before. Monday night someone broke a car window in the parking lot. This time it was caught on camera.
    
Three days ago its owner Ralph Simoni, installed a camera in his parking lot after losing $20,000 worth of hand tools a few months ago.

"Just trying to make a living," he said. "It's hard these days. But ah, the theft is killing us."

His camera has already come in handy.  It was rolling Monday night as a man wearing a ball cap checked on a 2001 Volkswagon Passat parked out front. Then, he walked away.

About 30 minutes later, he came back with another man. From the video, you can see them break-in the car window. Then they opened the hood of the car. The alarm went off, but they turn and left, taking nothing with them.

Simoni believes this car break-in may be connected to the burglary a few months ago.

"Something has to happen, someone has to get caught, and I hope someone recognizes somebody," Simoni said.

Simoni filed a report with Tulsa Police. He says other nearby businesses are also dealing with car break-ins.
He hopes this video surveillance will help solve the problem.

"If I can add in my two cents to help catch somebody, to help save my business and any other businesses, that's fine," he said.

Some of his loyal customers say the latest incident won't scare them away.

"That's horrible. That's just horrible. Awful. I'll still come here," said Amie Farinella.

If you have any information you can call CRIME STOPPERS at 918-596-COPS. The auto shop is also offering a $1,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest.