Tulsa Police Find Man They Say Stole Rifle By Stuffing It Down His Pants

Investigators at Tulsa's Mingo Valley Division say the case is a high priority because the last thing they want is a high-powered rifle on the streets.

Thursday, April 30th 2015, 6:36 pm

By: News On 6

Tulsa Police Find Man They Say Stole Rifle By Stuffing It Down His Pants

Tulsa police spent the day looking for a man who stole an AR-15 rifle from a Tulsa store by stuffing it down his pants.

Investigators at Tulsa's Mingo Valley Division say the case is a high priority because the last thing they want is a high-powered rifle on the streets.

Investigators say video footage shows Brandon Lunsford and his younger brother Jesse Hughes at the Security Centers, Inc. store on East Admiral on April 15.

4/15/2015 Related Story: Man Steals Gun By Hiding It In Pants, Tulsa Police Say

They say you can see them looking around until the employee leaves the area, then Jesse hands Brandon an AR-15 and Brandon turns his back to the camera and stuffs it into his pants, down his leg, then pulls his shirt over it and then walks stiffly out of the store, Jesse behind him.

Police say Jesse has no criminal history but his big brother is an ex-con.

"[Brandon's] not allowed to possess a firearm, and just the nature of the item stolen here, an assault rifle, a high-powered rifle, we want that off the streets," TPD Detective Jason Hamm said.

The investigators spent the morning with Claremore police officers searching for the brothers at two different apartment complexes, but the officers were told someone was tipping them off and they were on the run.

Then the officers checked a house in Tulsa.

"Tried one location in north Tulsa where one of the suspects stays and no luck," Hamm said.

So they decided to get warrants and let the case take its course, but after Hamm was interviewed by News On 6, our crew decided to swing by the house in Tulsa and knock on the door.

As the crew walked up to the house, Jesse walked out while on the phone headed to a car and when he saw the cameras, he said, “I'm going to turn myself in right now.”

Sure enough, Jesse went to the police station where he was handcuffed, searched and taken into custody.

Jesse Lunsford will be booked for grand larceny since the gun is valued at $1,300. Tulsa police arrested Brandon Lunsford around 8:00 Thursday night.

The mother of the men said she didn't want to go on camera but did say she is heartbroken, embarrassed and knows her sons must answer for what they've done.