Several Lufkin area mobile telephone retail stores have been burglarized since the beginning of this year and Lufkin Police Department Detectives need assistance from the public in bringing to justice the persons who committed these crimes.  The burglars involved in these burglaries forced entry into the buildings and removed multiple mobile telephones. 

Using a telephone’s serial number, often the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), mobile telephone service providers can identify valid telephones and prevent stolen telephones from connecting to the network.  Because the serial number is part of the telephone, this can occur regardless of whether the telephone`s SIM (subscriber identity module) card is changed, or not.  Unfortunately, this does not prevent the telephone’s use on another service provider’s network or its use outside of the United States.

Although the telephones stolen from the local retail stores can be blocked from accessing the intended service provider’s network, the burglars may still attempt to sell the telephones to unsuspecting buyers.  The average citizen looking for a good deal may be tempted to purchase a mobile telephone from someone.  After all, the citizen sees what appears to be a new-in-the-box, latest technology mobile telephone for a reasonable price but they may later learn that the telephone is stolen and has been block by the service provider. 

Usually, clues that a mobile telephone is stolen include a too good to be true price on a new telephone and the fact that it is not being offered through an authorized retailer.  Notify local law enforcement if you are approached regarding making such a purchase.

If you can provide any information about these crimes, call Crime Stoppers at 639-TIPS or leave an anonymous tip at www.LufkinCrimeStoppers.com.  You never have to give your name and if the information you provide leads to arrests related to these crimes, or any felony crime, you could earn a cash reward.  Crime Stoppers of Lufkin is doubling all cash rewards for tips called in during January so, if your tip leads to an arrest, you could earn up to $2,000.

Over the night of Saturday November 21, a four wheeler was stolen from a Lufkin home and Crime Stoppers needs your help to find it and bring the thief to justice.

Between 5pm that Saturday and the early afternoon hours of Sunday November 22, someone entered the back yard of a home on Hackney St., just off Atkinson Drive and stole the homeowners red 2005 Yamaha four wheeler.  The thief cut a chain that secured the ATV to a post and removed the four wheeler from the property by unknown means.

The four wheeler had one unique modification that made it stand out.  There was a black “pipe stereo” mounted on the front racks of the ATV.  The large diameter black pipe contained a stereo and two 6”X9” speakers.  The pull-start rope on the ATV was also broken.

If you know who stole this ATV or have information on where it may be located, call Crime Stoppers at 639-TIPS or leave an anonymous tip right here at www.lufkincrimestoppers.com by clicking on the link to the left. You never have to give your name and if the information you provide leads to an arrest in this case you could earn a cash reward of up to $1000.

For the month of January, we are doubling all cash rewards.  Call in this month and you could earn up to $2000 for information that leads to an arrest in a felony crime or leads to the apprehension of a fugitive felon.

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Sometime during the night of Friday, November 13 thieves struck a local mobile home dealership and stole thousands of dollars worth of batteries and propane tanks from travel trailers on the lot.

During that Friday night thieves took about 40 propane tanks and over a dozen batteries from about 20 travel trailers on the lot of Twin City Housing located at 1400 S. Medford Drive in Lufkin.

The thieves had to have a truck and possibly a trailer to remove all the items that were stolen.  These batteries and propane tanks do have some re-sale value or may have been taken for scrap metal value.

However they plan of selling the stolen property, this is still a felony theft and Crime Stoppers wants your help to put this thief or thieves where they belong, behind bars.  Crime shouldn’t pay but Crime Stoppers does.

If you have information on this theft call Crime Stoppers at 639-TIPS or leave an anonymous tip a www.lufkincrimestoppers.com.  You never have to give your name and we’re offering a cash reward of up to $1000 for information that leads to an arrest in this, or any felony crime.

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Around 1am on Thursday September 17, two employees of Jack in the Box located at Denman and Loop 287 were closing up and leaving when they were robbed and kidnapped by three armed men.

The suspects, all believed to be black men, approached the victims outside the store and were wearing hoodies, gloves and masks and carrying guns.  After unsuccessfully trying to get back inside the store, the suspects ordered the victims into one of their own cars and drove them to a secluded area off Ford Chapel Road outside of town where they were released unharmed.

Just a few hours later, the stolen car was found abandoned in a field in the 1600 block of Knight Street in the area of east Lufkin known as Lufkin Land.  The suspects were described as three black males and one had a heavy Cajun accent.  Two were of average build and around 5’8” tall.  The third man was taller and seemed to be in charge.

If you have information on this robbery and kidnapping call Crime Stoppers at 639-TIPS or leave a tip on our website, www.lufkincrimestoppers.com.  You never have to give your name and we’re offering double cash rewards for tips called in through the end of November, 2009 so you could earn up to $2000 for information that leads to an arrest in this case.

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During the early morning hours of Friday November 13 a woman was accosted by a man as she was walking into her workplace at Memorial Medical Center on Frank St. 

The victim had parked near Ellis Street around 5:30am that Friday morning and was walking into work when a man grabbed her from behind and held some type weapon to her back, demanding that she return to her car as he dragged her by her hair.

The victim refused to comply and the suspect gave up and fled on foot.  He’s described as a black or Hispanic male and we have some images from security video.  The suspect was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt with a large printed logo on the front.  If you have any information on this crime or recognize this man, call Crime Stoppers at 639-TIPS or leave an anonymous tip at www.lufkincrimestoppers.com. 

You never have to give your name and you could earn a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest in this case.  Crime Stoppers is offering double rewards through the end of November so you could earn up to $2000 for information that leads to an arrest in this case.

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Around 1pm on the afternoon of Wednesday September 09, a south Lufkin service station received a shipment of cigarettes.  The employees of Murphy USA left some of the cases outside for a very short time but that was long enough for someone to steal a couple of  the cases of cigarettes.

The suspect, shown in the accompanying photograph, got away with two cases of cigarettes valued at over $1500.  The man was described as slender and was probably in his 20’s.  He may have been in a white pickup.

If you recognize this man, call Crime Stoppers at 639-TIPS or leave an anonymous tip here at www.lufkincrimestoppers.com.  You never have to give your name and you could earn a cash reward for information that leads to this thief’s arrest.

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Around midnight on Sunday night, September 06 a local man stopped at a convenience store on N. Timberland and Atkinson where two women asked him for a ride.  The man gave them a ride to a house off Paul St. where he was beaten and robbed by several men.

One of the women was white and the other was black.  They directed the victim to drive them to a house in the Lufkin Land area off Paul St. where several black men were hanging around outside.  The women told the victim they would get him some gas money and they’d be right back.  While the victim as waiting several of the men from the house approached him.

One man ordered him from the pickup and another grabbed his arms and bent them up behind his back.  Helpless, the victim was held while some of the other men took some cash from his pocket and hit him in the head with an unknown object and made several cuts to his face with a razor blade.  The victim broke free and fled in his vehicle.  The victim was not able to find the house again when he attempted to show officers where the crime occurred.

If you have information on this robbery call Crime Stoppers at 639-TIPS or leave an anonymous tip at www.lufkincrimestoppers.com.  You never have to give your name and if the information that you give leads to an arrest in this case, you could be eligible for a cash reward. 

Our double rewards offer was so successful for October that we are extending it through November.  You could earn up to $2000 for information that leads to an arrest in this, or any felony crime.

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On the later afternoon of Tuesday July 28, a woman ran into the M&B convenience store at Abney and N. Raguet.  During the short time she was in the store a young, white or Hispanic male reached into her open car and stole $200.

That theft was caught on video and can be seen by clicking on the video icon.

The suspect appears near the end of the video and is wearing blue jeans and has a shirt over his shoulder.  He has a fairly large tattoo in the center of his back.  It can be seen as he leans into the car to steal the money.