Two teenagers were arrested Monday afternoon after Sallisaw detectives received a tip about the location of some of the stolen items.
Joseph Marshall, 18, of Gans and a 17-year-old male of Muldrow were arrested. Marshall was booked into the city jail on various charges, and as of Tuesday night, he was being held on a $74,500 bond.
Sallisaw Police Detective John Owens said the teens admitted to the crimes that took place between 1:30 and 5 a.m. Monday morning.
The teens allegedly chose vehicles randomly and took anything of value in sight, including change, compact discs, and a case of Pepsi. They also ripped car stereos out of dashboards, damaging vehicles.
Owens said they have recovered about $10,000 to $20,000 worth of property. One victim had thousands of dollars in Christmas presents stolen from his vehicle. Officers are unsure of the total amount of damage done to the vehicles.
The two also allegedly stole purses and wallets, taking the cash and throwing them to the side of the road.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the police department had received over 30 reports of vehicle burglaries, and they were still processing the property that has since been recovered.
Owens said 95 percent of the burglaries occurred in the city limits, but they did have several more reports from outside the city limits in the county.
Police received a tip of the possible location of the property Monday and went to several locations, finding a large quantity of stolen property and arresting the teens.
Police also found drug paraphernalia, marijuana residue, and a firearm at one of the locations. Police have identified a majority of the property, some of which may have been stolen from Henryetta.
The teens told police the cars were unlocked, but some victims said they were certain their vehicles were locked. Owens said police are unsure how the suspects broke into the vehicles since no windows were broken and no tools have been found.
Owens said residents are still coming in to the police department and making reports of stolen property.
"You need a U-haul to haul all this stuff around," Owens said.
Owens said the teens have also admitted to stealing things in Tulsa, but police are trying to take care of local residents first. He said police will return the property to its rightful owner if the owner can identify the property.
Owens said usually at Christmas there is a higher volume of property thefts. Detectives Owens and Sandra Girdner are urging residents to make sure their car doors are locked and to make sure they don't leave items visible, especially purses or Christmas gifts.
