Body cam footage shows officers tracking down crying suspected burglars who preyed on elderly
By: Back on October 26th, an elderly couple was reportedly burglarized and now, the Oklahoma City Police Department (OKCPD) has released body camera footage showing the moments after the incident.
The couple, Oleta Burney and her husband were in their bedroom when they heard someone in their living room. Fifteen minutes earlier, they had taken out the trash and left the front door unlocked.
OKCPD officials stated that the individuals in the couple’s living room were identified as 27-year-old Jorge Garcia and 35-year-old Corey Windle. Burney said:
“I guess [they were] trying to figure out how to get the cord for the TV, like they were fixing to take the TV.”
Police said that Garcia took off while Windle froze in fear and rambled off excuses to the couple while the husband dialed 911. Burney said:
“‘Your door was wide open and we came in to check on you.’ ‘I got some bad drugs.’ Then he said, ‘Oh, I’m just in the wrong house.’ The he starts trying to get out of here, and I’m like, pushing him back. ‘Nope, you’re waiting for the police.'”
The elderly woman was not about to let him get away and so she fought back to keep him inside the house. Windle allegedly fought back as well, biting her wrist and chest before attempting to flee the scene. A day after the incident, Burney said:
“I got the sprained wrist, I got a sprained thumb. And both of my knees are hurting today. I guess I aggravated everything on each arthritis place I have got.”
OKCPD released body camera footage, which shows Windle froze outside of Burney’s home. He was immediately arrested. Garcia took off running into a nearby field. One officer told another:
“Go get him.”
An officer and his K9 walked through the field in search of Garcia. Within minutes, they spotted Garcia hiding in the tall grass. The officer who ended up arresting Garcia said:
“Put your face down on the ground! Put your face down on the ground! Put your hands right behind your back.”
In the video, Garcia can be heard crying and telling the officers that he is sorry. OKCPD said that when it comes to being confronted with suspects, it is better to let them go than try and keep them until police show up. Sgt. Dillon Quirk said:
“This is a situation where tension run high and emotions run high. The safest thing you could possibly do is to let police do their job and find he suspects.”
Burney said:
“My husband said, ‘I can’t believe you were willing to push it that far.'”
Both men were booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on several complaints, including burglary. Online records indicate that Windle is a career criminal who has a long history of burglaries and other petty crimes.
In Prospect Park, Pennsylvania, one of two suspects who allegedly burglarized the home of an 83-year-old back in September is now in custody.
Police say that Anthony Miguel was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona. Miguel is reportedly facing similar charges in Arizona and will be extradited back to Pennsylvania.
According to police, Miguel and Tasha Delmaro approached the elderly woman while she was tending to her garden in Delaware County and asked to use the restroom. That is when Miguel allegedly went inside and stole the woman’s jewelry.
Police said that the suspects event used their young children as bait to carry out the crime. Police also said that this is not the first time that this couple has committed a crime like this.
Delmaro and Miguel are reportedly wanted in several states across the country for similar crimes, a scam that police say they have down pat. Prospect Park Police Chief David Madonna said in a statement:
“They get arrested, they post bail, and then they skip bail. They change identities so often, they change their name, configurations of their names, use different DOB’s and social security numbers to blend into society.”
While the victim was not physically attacked, she did go to the hospital for trauma. A neighbor who lives down the street said that he can’t believe someone would take advantage of the kindest person on the block. He said:
“It’s terrible they would do that. She’s just a nice old late and they took advantage of her, it’s just not right.”
Police are advising everyone to remain vigilant and cautious of strangers asking for favors.