Two Men Accused Of Stealing Construction Supplies, Jacuzzi Hot Tubs From Choctaw Neighborhood

Two accused thieves were caught in the act earlier in the week at a construction site in Choctaw. The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office released security footage of the men loading up a trailer with some unusual building supplies.

Cameras are always rolling in the neighborhood that is under construction near SE 15th Street and Peebly Road. One of the cameras caught the suspects, later identified as Ronnie Carter, 45, and Curtis Fortenberry, 48, pull up in a pickup. However, they did not show up to the site to work.  

“Once they arrive on scene, they notice there’s a construction trailer there,” said Aaron Brilbeck, Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office spokesman. 

The two hitched the trailer to the truck and started loading it with everything they could find, video showed.

“They’re grabbing everything from tools to wheelbarrows to two separate Jacuzzis that they load onto this thing,” said Brilbeck.

Nearly every move they made was seen on camera. County officials said the truck was key to catching the suspected thieves. Deputies were on the lookout for a silver truck with a black racing stripe on the back.

“As one of our deputies was on patrol the following day, he spots the truck coming towards him, he’s going the opposite direction. The two made eye contact,” said Brilbeck.

The deputy was able to follow the truck to a gated property in Oklahoma County.

“So, we get a search warrant, execute the search warrant, find all the stolen property,” said Brilbeck. “We don’t know exactly what their motivation was but presumably to sell it.”

The men were also taken into custody and booked into the Oklahoma County jail on complaints of burglary and possessing and concealing stolen property.

County officials said the investigation was not over with the arrest. Investigators are looking into if the men are connected to other burglaries in the county.