SUV stolen from garage recovered

By Tom Blakey

Ron English has had an intuition --?a sixth sense if you will -- that his stolen vehicle was being driven around the local area. He was proven correct last week when police found the Honda SUV last week in Oklahoma City, and arrested the man they believe broke into English's garage the early morning of Aug. 24 and snatched the vehicle along with another SUV.

Last month, The Transcript published an article concerning English and his wife, Brenda, who awoke that morning to find the two vehicles stolen from the garage of their home on Harrogate Drive in West Norman.

"It was a real shocker," English said at the time. "You don't know the range of emotions my wife and I have been through. The thieves were only one door away from being inside the house."

English said the theft was a violation of the couple's privacy and sense of security in their own home.

"I've never felt that way before," he said.

English and his wife Brenda live on Harrogate Drive -- a quiet, secure and usually crime-free neighborhood in west Norman.

About 7 a.m. the morning of the theft, English said he received a call from a woman at the Norman Police Department, asking if he owned a certain model Honda SUV. She then asked English if he knew where the vehicle was.

Assuring her it was in his garage, English was astonished to discover his garage empty, his vehicles gone.

The officer told English his Honda SUV had been found that same morning, parked in the driveway of another residence about four blocks away. The owner of that home couldn't get out of his driveway to go to work and called police.

But weeks went by without the recovery of the 2002 Toyota Highlander -- a Limited Edition silver SUV with only 50,000 miles on it. English offered a reward for information leading to the its return.

In fact, it was a security guard who arrested the alleged thief, Daniel Jacob "Jake" Goble, 30, Norman.

"It has not been established that the person the arrested was the actual thief," English said. "However, there is a good possibility it was him ... He was caught taking a tag from a car in the parking lot of a bingo hall at 1312 SE 44th Street in Oklahoma City. The thief was savvy enough to be stealing a tag from another make of car same as the car he stole from me -- a Toyota," English said.

English said he believes the Transcript article "helped alert people to what might happen in the usually safe domain of one's home."

"Garages still offer a ready treasure trove for thieves and will until we exercise due caution. I heard from many neighbors and friends in the area who read the article who are now on the alert," he said.

English said his "hat's off" to the security guard who made the arrest.

"The thief was caught in the act by a security guard and held for the Oklahoma City police. Right on the spot the police discovered my car without a tag and immediately called the Norman police. Within minutes the Norman police called me. I must tell you I rejoiced over the news.?

English said his insurance company permitted him to check for personal items that might have been left in the car.

"My Bible is still missing, but I did get my umbrella -- a small victory. All the other items that had been in my car were gone," he said.

English said he's appreciative of the security guard who caught the suspect and the Oklahoma City and Norman police departments.

"It's a community effort to fight crime and here we see a living example," he said.

"Sadly, the public must be aware that our possessions are constantly being observed by an element of our society who preys on the unsuspecting. (The detective) reminded me, 'Don't ever leave your keys inside your car.' That is great advice. I have another -- make sure your garage door is down," English said.

Tom Blakey 366-3540 tblakey@normantranscript.com?