Should This be in the "Stupid Crimes..." topic?

[TexasStooge]

Police seek courthouse break-in bandit

By KARIN KELLY / WFAA-TV

Authorities are trying to identify a woman suspected in several break-ins at a North Texas courthouse.

The last break-in, about three weeks ago, was caught on surveillance tape. It was not a sophisticated entry, she broke out a window and slipped right in. She walked right across the lobby at 1:40 a.m. on Oct. 31.

"The Sub-Courthouse has a lot of valuable items in it," Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said. Anderson believes the woman has burglarized the Southwest Sub-Courthouse five times since last November, taking laptops, electronics, even a gun. While she didn't ransack offices, the bandit did mess up some workspaces.

"We're really frustrated having to come in and somebody has gone through our personal stuff," employee Cindy Keathley said.

The Southwest Sub-Courthouse is one of seven across Tarrant County, but it is the only that's been robbed.

"There are certainly some businesses nearby that would be more lucrative for them (the bandits), so they're targeting this courthouse," Anderson said. "They know something or they have a comfort level where to find valuables."

Detectives are uncertain of the burglar's race and height but they believe she wears leather pants for protection from broken glass. She probably calls an accomplice who drives up close. The building's design can hide some views.

Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks reassured residents that the courthouse is safe. "We have, during the day, armed constables in the building, so people need not fear coming in and using the facilities," he said.

Authorities are hoping someone will recognize the person in the surveillance video and call Crimestoppers at 214-373-TIPS(8477).