TULSA, OK (KTUL) – Two men, Michael Elkins and Christopher Wroten, were arrested after allegedly stealing copper from air conditioning units at two churches in Tulsa.
On Tuesday, officers with the Tulsa Police Riverside Street Crimes Unit investigated a church near I-44 and South Darlington Avenue after receiving reports of a copper theft. Around 2:30 a.m., two white men stripped several AC units, causing approximately $80,000 in damages.
The following morning, another church in the area reported a similar crime. Surveillance footage from the second location showed the same individuals from the first theft. This time, the damage and stolen property amounted to over $120,000, bringing the total damages from both thefts to about $200,000.
Police quickly identified one of the suspects as Michael Elkins. Later that day, they tracked him to the Sky Motel near Gernett and I-244, where he was arrested. The second suspect, Christopher Wroten, was also taken into custody.
Both Elkins and Wroten, who are convicted felons, face multiple charges, including:
2 counts of Grand Larceny AFCF (After Former Conviction of a Felony)
False Declaration of Ownership
Conspiracy to Commit a Felony AFCF
Malicious Injury to Property
The investigation remains ongoing as police work to address the significant damage caused by the thefts.