Crime Stoppers Crime of the Week: Flamingo Bingo burglary

From Deep East Texas Crime Stoppers

Investigators look to Crime Stoppers when they are unable to identify a criminal. To assist them, Crime Stoppers offers a reward and a means for anonymously providing information regarding the crime. This week, Crime Stoppers has been asked to help identify two criminals who burglarized Flamingo Bingo in Lufkin.

The burglary occurred October 29, and the ATM inside was the burglars' target. A camera outside the building showed two suspects arriving a little after 10:00 p.m. After using a long pry bar to knock the camera sideways and hide their actions, they cut the building's metal siding and broke through the interior sheetrock leaving a hole like that of a giant rat.

In what must have been an attempt to avoid alarm motion detectors, one of the criminals crawled to the ATM.  Their concern over motion detectors was short lived because there was a lot of motion involved in their destruction of the ATM.  After five minutes of prying at the machine's door, and several times of slipping and crashing to the floor, the burglar gained access to the cash box inside the ATM.

With the cashbox in hand, the burglar ran to the front door and tried with the metal pry bar to break out the door's glass. When that failed to produce an escape route, they crawled back through their rat hole.

The security alarm did activate, but the criminals fled before law enforcement could arrive.  Portions of the security videos are posted online at www.DETCS.tips and www.facebook.com/detcs.

If you can identify either of the burglars, call Deep East Texas Crime Stoppers at (936) 639-TIPS or submit a tip online at www.DETCS.tips. Crime Stoppers calls and tips are anonymous and the first, most accurate tip that leads to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward.