Police say a Bybee Branch Road man didn’t realize he was performing for the camera when he was captured on film burglarizing several storage warehouses this week.
The suspect, Tony Brakeall, is charged with four counts of burglary but that number is expected to climb significantly once the victims who own the burglarized units are contacted.
“There was a little bit of everything,” said McMinnville police detective Todd Rowland. “He took tools and radios and even 500 bags of Fritos.”
The thefts for which Brakeall is charged came from Cotton’s Warehouses off Hobson Street and Turner’s Warehouses in Newtown. Locks were cut on several storage units and valuables were removed.
It was the later establishment, Turner’s, where Brakeall was captured on film, making several pilgrimages to and from the storage facilities to commit multiple break-ins on the same day.
“We knew he could only be going a short distance because he came and went within a few minutes of each visit,” Rowland said.
Police fell in behind Brakeall’s vehicle as he pulled into his driveway on Bybee Branch Road after noticing his vehicle matched the one seen on surveillance video. Brakeall reportedly admitted he had been at the Newtown storage unit with a friend earlier, prompting police to ask if they could look around his property. When they did search, they hit pay dirt in a storage shed.
“There was a truck load of stuff,” Rowland said, noting he is certain, given the amount of property they recovered, the first four charges are just the tip of the iceberg. “I feel certain there will a lot more charges coming against Mr. Brakeall.”