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Bumbling Burglar Steals Fake Phones

POSTED: 11:16 pm CST November 22, 2008
UPDATED: 8:52 am CST November 24, 2008

Police said a crook who stole phones from a T-Mobile store would later find out he had taken dummy phones.

Store owner Alex Martinez said the phones, which looked and felt like real phones, were used as display models at the store at North Tenth Street and Central Avenue.

"Just a big dummy. You took all our dummy phones," Martinez said of the thief.

Surveillance video shows the crook climbing over boxes after prying open the back door. He seemed to have a hard time getting through the next door that leads to the showroom, so he hacked a hole in the wall with a crowbar, leaving behind a mess of plaster.

The video showed the man falling after taking his crowbar to the video monitor. The surveillance has an Internet-based recording system, so it kept taping, Martinez said.

The intruder was on the floor for at least 15 seconds, rubbing his leg from the fall.

Finally the man found what he seemed to be looking for, unaware that the phones are worthless.

"It's a shell. There's pictures on it. But no electrical. Nothing in there. Nothing that makes the phone work," Martinez said.

He said he was surprised the thief managed to jimmy the heavily-secured exterior door. And although he said he is frustrated at the cost of the repairs he will have to make, he was amused watching the bumbling burglar in action.

"He went through all that effort and everything, and there's really nothing of value. It's not worth it. You're going to get caught," Martinez said.

Martinez said he is confident someone will call him or police with a tip on the identity of the burglar. He put out flyers a few months ago after his store was robbed, and within two weeks, someone recognized the surveillance picture and a suspect was arrested.

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