Five teenage boys were caught by police after a stolen pickup pursuit in Oklahoma City Friday, police said.

About 1:25 a.m. a police officer spotted a pickup with a missing headlight at SE 44 and Stiles Avenue. The officer pursued the pickup when the driver didn’t pull over, said police Master Sgt. Gary Knight.

After less than two minutes the driver stopped the pickup and the occupants ran to hid in bushes, Knight said. They were located with the help of the police helicopter and dogs.

The pickup had been stolen from northeast Oklahoma City, Knight said.

Three of the boys, ages 13-16, were taken to a juvenile detention center, Knight said.

If you are being charged with a criminal offense and need legal assistance, please contact The Swain Law Firm at (405)501-0827 to receive a free consultation.

Law Offices of Matt Swain

405-501-0827

The owners of a fireworks stand who had spent the night at the stand caught burglars in the act early Thursday, and two people were arrested after a police chase.

Deontae Thomas, 19, and a 15-year-old male were arrested on complaints of burglary and eluding a police officer. Officials did not identify the 15-year-old because he is a juvenile.

The Oklahoma County sheriff’s office received a call about 5 a.m. Thursday that a burglary was in progress at a fireworks stand at 1201 N Sooner Road.

Mark Myers, spokesman for the sheriff, said the owners were sleeping at the site and called 911 as they witnessed the burglary. A deputy arrived with his K-9 partner, and the two suspected burglars ran into a wooded area.

The dog was used to track the burglars to a sport utility vehicle that drove away, but a deputy was able to put out a vehicle description. A Nicoma Park police officer spotted the SUV and stopped it in the 1800 block of Midwest Boulevard.

Thomas was booked into the Oklahoma County jail on $4,000 bond. The 15-year-old was taken to the Oklahoma County Juvenile Detention Center.

If you are being charged with a criminal offense and need legal assistance, please contact The Swain Law Firm at (405)501-0827 to receive a free consultation.

Law Offices of Matt Swain

405-501-0827

Two men who stole packs of beer at a convenience store pointed a pistol at the clerk after they were unable to escape through a locked door, police said.

Oklahoma City Police Master Sgt. Gary Knight said the robbery happened about 2 a.m. May 21 at a 7-Eleven store at 1520 SW 59. Knight said the men grabbed two 20-packs of beer and tried to leave without paying.

The robbers tried to leave through a locked glass door and became frustrated when they couldn’t get it open. One of them pointed a pistol at the store clerk and told him to unlock it.

The clerk told the men to exit through another door that was unlocked, Knight said. No one was injured.

If you are being charged with a criminal offense and need legal assistance, please contact The Swain Law Firm at (405)501-0827 to receive a free consultation.

Law Offices of Matt Swain

405-501-0827

Police are looking for a woman who used another woman’s credit card number at a clothing store, racking up more than $1,400 worth of charges.

Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said the identity theft took place June 4 at a Kohl’s store at 7401 SE 29. He said the woman punched in the victim’s credit card number at the register to pay for $1,476 worth of clothing and gift cards.

It’s unknown how the woman retrieved the credit card information. Clabes said the victim told officers she had the credit card in her purse the entire weekend the purchase was made.

If you are being charged with a criminal offense and need legal assistance, please contact The Swain Law Firm at (405)501-0827 to receive a free consultation.

Law Offices of Matt Swain

405-501-0827

A chase involving Oklahoma City police and Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers ended in a crash and the arrest of a man in northwest Oklahoma City, authorities said.

About 10:42 p.m. Wednesday a police officer spotted a stolen Corvette on northbound Interstate 35 at SW 15, said Oklahoma City police Master Sgt. Gary Knight.

The officer pursued the Corvette and another officer joined the chase. The police officers were unable to get the driver to stop and one person reportedly bailed out during the pursuit. An arrest was made, Knight said. The troopers took over the chase and a tactical maneuver ended it at NW 60 and N Rockwell Avenue.

The driver was not hurt and was arrested, said patrol spokeswoman Betsy Randolph.

If you are being charged with a criminal offense and need legal assistance, please contact The Swain Law Firm at (405)501-0827 to receive a free consultation.

Law Offices of Matt Swain

405-501-0827

Authorities are investigating the death of a Holdenville toddler who stopped breathing Sunday morning at his grandparents’ house in Earlsboro.

The state medical examiner’s office reported that Justin Cade Netzel, 2, died of a stomach injury from blunt force trauma. His death has been classified as a homicide.

Authorities said family members tried CPR to revive Justin, but he was unresponsive.

The child’s death is being investigated by the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office and district attorney’s investigators.

District Attorney Richard Smothermon on Wednesday declined to comment about the case.

Family members said Justin had been swimming earlier that day and went to spend the night with his grandparents in Earlsboro along with his sibling and two other children, sheriff’s office investigator Travis Palmer said.

Palmer said the family reported the boy didn’t eat much at dinner and woke up in the middle of night vomiting. Sunday morning he complained of being thirsty before he stopped breathing, he said.

Funeral services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at the Church of the Nazarene in Holdenville.

If you are being charged with a criminal offense and need legal assistance, please contact The Swain Law Firm at (405)501-0827 to receive a free consultation.

Law Offices of Matt Swain

405-501-0827

An adopted teenage son testified Wednesday against his parents, who are accused of keeping him in a dog crate and of routinely beating him and his two siblings and making them eat dog food.

John Edward Kluth, 50, and Sonja K. Kluth, 57, are charged in Canadian County with child abuse and neglect. They were ordered to trial at the conclusion of the preliminary hearing, said Paul Hesse, assistant district attorney.

Bill James, attorney for the Kluths, could not be reached for comment.

The state called the teenager to testify during the five-hour hearing, Hesse said.

The couple are accused of beating, choking and burning their three adopted children, ages 15, 11 and 9, according to an arrest affidavit. John Kluth told investigators the two boys and a girl came to them already abused.

The boys were confined in a darkened cellar at their Yukon home for up to seven months at a time, and the Kluths kept the eldest boy in a dog crate for up to two months, the affidavit states.

The abuse charges came to light after the oldest boy ran away and authorities found him sleeping in a box behind a Braum’s in Oklahoma City. All three were taken into state custody.

Sonja Kluth told investigators she had become a monster and that she lost all control when trying to deal with the children.

John Kluth admitted to excessively punishing the children, the affidavit states but blamed most of the severe abuse on his wife.

The Kluths adopted the children from Winnebago County, Wis., and had been receiving $4,500 a month in support money until Wisconsin authorities learned about the arrests.

The couple are scheduled to return to court Aug. 23. They are free on bail.

If you are being charged with a criminal offense and need legal assistance, please contact The Swain Law Firm at (405)501-0827 to receive a free consultation.

Law Offices of Matt Swain

405-501-0827

A Chickasha tree trimmer was accused Wednesday by the state attorney general of cheating five women who paid for unnecessary or incomplete service.

Brian Howell Thornburg, 32, operator of Nationwide Tree Service in Chickasha, was charged with five felony counts of exploiting the elderly.

Thornburg often would claim trees were diseased or infested with termites to get additional money, according to the charges filed in Oklahoma and Cleveland counties.

One 80-year-old Norman woman paid him nearly $11,000 this year, according to the charges.

“It hurts,” that victim told The Oklahoman.

“Older homeowners, especially those who live alone, need to be aware of such scams and how to avoid them,” said Tom Bates, an assistant attorney general. “If you are approached by someone you did not call, do not answer the door. Call a family member and report the incident to the AG’s public protection unit. We need to know about fraud, so we can continue our efforts to stop it.”

Thornburg has a 2000 conviction for assault and battery on a police officer and a 2006 conviction for violation of a protective order, an attorney general investigator reported.

Thornburg could not be reached for comment. Messages to his business were not returned.

If you are being charged with a criminal offense and need legal assistance, please contact The Swain Law Firm at (405)501-0827 to receive a free consultation.

Law Offices of Matt Swain

405-501-0827

An Oklahoma City man was sentenced Tuesday to eight months in federal prison for threatening to blow President Barack Obama’s brains out.

Mario Edward Garnett was ordered to get mental health care upon his release. He can’t own a gun.

Garnett, 38, pleaded guilty Dec. 1 to threatening the president, a felony. He posted the threat on the official White House website Aug. 21, a U.S. Secret Service agent reported.

Garnett admitted he wrote, “If you order a strike on Iran, Im going to come up there and blow your brains out on national TV. You scheming hypocrite. You don’t mean anything to me. Youre just one dirt bag out of a handful plotting evil behind closed doors. Ive got plans for some of you, here shortly. … GOD has given Me a mandate. Glory belongs to GOD for all to come.”

If you are being charged with a criminal offense and need legal assistance, please contact The Swain Law Firm at (405)501-0827 to receive a free consultation.

Law Offices of Matt Swain

405-501-0827

An Oklahoma City man has been accused of robbing a San Antonio store of Rolex watches, diamond rings and other jewelry valued at $2.3 million.

The FBI arrested Marvin Donald Steele, 45, on Friday in Oklahoma City.

A federal grand jury in San Antonio indicted Steele. He is accused of robbing Lee Michaels Jewelry on March 24, 2010, and bringing the stolen goods to Oklahoma.

The grand jury alleged he threatened store employees with a gun during the robbery.

FBI agents on Aug. 10 recovered jewelry during a search of a relative’s home in southwest Oklahoma City, records show. The relative was not charged and is not suspected of participating in the robbery.

The FBI said two men were involved in the “hostile takeover” type of robbery at the store at North Star Mall in San Antonio. The indictment against Steele does not identify the second suspect.

Steele has been arrested before — most recently in April in an Oklahoma County burglary case. He also was awaiting trial in a 2010 Oklahoma County drug case.

If you are being charged with a criminal offense and need legal assistance, please contact The Swain Law Firm at (405)501-0827 to receive a free consultation.

Law Offices of Matt Swain

405-501-0827