Oklahoma City police are asking the public to help identify a man accused of stealing a laptop from an office supply store near I-240 and Western. Investigators are seeking information that could help identify him.
The appeal came in a Facebook post from the Oklahoma City Police Department published Thursday. The post asks the public to help identify the suspect.
A Familiar Trouble Spot for Retailers
The Memorial and Penn corridor has shown up in Oklahoma City police appeals before. In a separate case, investigators said a group of four people entered an electronics store near Memorial and Penn and walked out with close to $5,000 in merchandise without paying, according to KFOR.
Police have also turned to social media in the past to track down suspects in the area. In a 2024 post on X, the department said two individuals were caught on camera stealing merchandise from a business near Memorial and Penn while bringing two children along during the theft, and asked for tips through Crime Stoppers. A separate post described three people who walked out of a business near NW 23rd and Penn with more than $1,700 in clothing without paying.
Part of a Broader Crackdown in the Santa Fe Division
Thursday's appeal comes as Oklahoma City police have ramped up enforcement against retail theft more broadly. A recent spike in thefts at major shopping areas prompted the department to launch a series of operations in the Santa Fe Division, according to okcfox.com. The station reported that the Santa Fe Division CRIME Unit identified several suspects who were also violent offenders while working with businesses to curb the crime, and that police recovered $1,524 worth of stolen merchandise during the operations.
Those operations produced multiple arrests at specific locations. On Sept. 8, officers made five felony arrests and three misdemeanor arrests near the Academy Sports + Outdoors store on S. Walker Avenue and seized methamphetamine and cocaine, the station's report states. Officers made two felony arrests and three misdemeanor arrests during two separate operations at the Penn Park Shopping Center, and on Sept. 29, two more felony arrests and two misdemeanor arrests came at the Academy location, where narcotics and two firearms were seized.
Other Best Buy Cases in the Metro
Best Buy stores have figured in separate Oklahoma City-area theft cases. In a 2026 case, two men were arrested in connection with a 48-day shoplifting operation that investigators say involved about $25,000 in property stolen from retail stores across the metro, according to KFOR. Those incidents occurred between July 15 and August 31 and involved Best Buy along with Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart and Academy Sports, with investigators recovering roughly $8,200 worth of stolen tools, electronics and other property after learning where the merchandise was being resold.
In another case in October 2024, suspects were accused of stealing 31 cameras and drones worth more than $33,000 from an Oklahoma City Best Buy, as reported by News 9. Court documents in that investigation tied two suspects to at least 77 Best Buy thefts across the country.
What the Data Says About Shoplifting in Oklahoma
Even as police highlight a spike in organized retail theft activity, broader state-level data presents a more complicated picture. The Oklahoma Council on Justice Reform states that shoplifting in Oklahoma has decreased by 17% since the passage of SQ780, based on statewide UCR data from 2016, and that only 3% of shoplifting charges in the state involve violent charges.
For now, the man remains unidentified. Oklahoma City police are asking anyone who recognizes him to come forward.
