Juvenile arrested in string of south Tulsa car thefts

Police arrested a 12-year-old boy in south Tulsa after repeated car thefts in the Chimney Hills Estate neighborhood. The repeated incidents left local residents demanding answers and facing hundreds of dollars in repair costs.

Samantha Almy said someone stole her vehicle twice. The damage now affects her daily routine. Her car has a broken door handle and damaged steering column. She must use pliers to start it.

“It’s baffling,” Almy said. “I didn’t even know what to think, but it just makes me very angry because it’s the same kid that’s done it.”

Almy found her car around the block after the first theft. It had a broken steering column and shattered back window. She spent $500 on repairs.

Her car was taken again on Sept. 29. She called her sister to help search the neighborhood. They found the vehicle nearby.

“He busted the same window and just basically took it for a joy ride. I had my sister come and pick me up and we drove around the neighborhood. We ended up finding it.”

Almy said the second incident cost her another $300. Multiple families reported similar vehicle crimes in a private Facebook group. Residents have shared warnings and security footage there.

Her home cameras recorded the suspect covering the lenses during the crime. The person returned hours later to remove the covers. He waved at the camera in one video.

“He’s walking back and he’s like waving at the camera, which to me is just even more baffling because it’s just like [it’s] a big game,” Almy said.

Residents and the Tulsa Police Department identified the person in the video as a 12-year-old tribal citizen. Tulsa police have helped, Almy said, but jurisdiction complicates the response.

“I don’t understand,” Almy said. “Why are we letting him get away with this? Clearly if he’s doing it so many times, is that not a cry for help?”

Tulsa Police Officer Andre Baul said officers caught the child several times in the neighborhood. Officers arrested him the first time and took him to jail.

Baul said the case left municipal control because the boy is Native American. Officers must release tribal juveniles to a guardian if holding facilities lack space.

“Since he was Native, if they don’t have a bed, then they are released back to their guardian or they are released back home. That is what happened with this particular juvenile several times.”

Almy said she wants accountability before the situation escalates. Broken windows can be replaced. A child’s life cannot, she said.

“Windows and stuff can be replaced, but this child’s life cannot and I’ve said it before, they are paving the way for this kid to go down a worse and worse path,” Almy said.

Reporters contacted the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police for comment on the releases. The tribal police agency did not respond before publication.

Almy noted that tribal authorities have not offered restitution for her repair expenses. She bought her home with her husband recently. It is their first house.

“This person is tribal, but they have not reached out in the slightest to be like ‘can we help you get some repercussions so that you don’t have to pay for this out of pocket or you can get some money back?’ I work hard, so does my husband. This is our first house. We worked hard to buy it. Now we are having to throw money into replacing stuff on my car because a kid keeps stealing it and no one is doing anything about it. It’s very frustrating. It’s extremely frustrating.”

Tribal law enforcement agencies handle criminal matters involving recognized tribal citizens on reservation land. Municipal departments transfer cases to tribal police when suspects hold tribal citizenship. Juvenile detention centers hold young suspects only when bed space allows.

Neighborhood families in Tulsa continue to share camera footage with investigators to document property damage.