Anchorage Burglar Who Stole Mounted Zebra Head Caught On Security Camera, Arrested

A thief, who robbed an Alaska woman by breaking into her home and stealing clothing, jewelry, prescription drugs and the mounted head of a zebra she had on a wall, was arrested Monday after the security footage from the house showed the burglar carrying the items out.

Stacy Scott, the woman who was robbed, told Anchorage television station KTVA that the driver of the cab, the suspect called to take the items to a motel, had the zebra head in his trunk and returned it.

Scott added she got the zebra head as a gift from a friend when she worked at a downtown boutique and had named it "George."

The security camera footage from Friday recorded a woman carrying several items, including the zebra head, out of Scott's home and into a waiting cab. Police were able arrest the woman at a motel in Anchorage where the driver had taken her. The suspect has been charged with felony theft and burglary, the New York Post reported.

Scott said she returned home Friday afternoon to find it ransacked. The thief reportedly entered from the back door, which she thought had been locked. The suspect loaded her bags with Scott's belongings, which included her late father's prescription painkillers and even stopped at the kitchen to make herself a snack.

"She went into the freezer and pulled out the ice cream, definitely made herself at home," Scott said.

Scott said she had purchased a security system called "The Ring" at Costco and installed it a few years ago. The thief’s several trips in and out of her house were caught on this camera.

"Being so brazen to come into someone's home, make yourself comfortable and literally leave by calling a cab and putting a zebra in the back," Scott told KTVA.

She gave the security footage to police, who were then able to find and arrest 38-year-old Desiree Fuller at the Travel Inn in Gambell, Alaska.

"If a suspect leaves in a vehicle, we're going to do everything we can to track that down," Anchorage Police Department (APD) spokesperson Renee Oistad said. "In the case of a People Mover bus or a cab company we can call dispatches of those companies and find out where they picked people up, where they dropped them off."

Scott said she had thought of decorating the zebra head for Christmas.

"I thought he'd be a great addition to my home — just something fun and whimsical. I was about to dress him up for Christmas actually."

Police said they have also recovered some other items stolen from Scott's house. They informed Scott that the suspect took the cab to the motel. However, she had no money to pay to the cab driver and traded the zebra head as collateral. The driver, later, returned the item when he saw the police were searching for the suspect. The driver reportedly called the police and said he had the zebra head in his trunk.

"Desiree had a hotel room for the evening, the zebra head traveled around Anchorage in the back of the taxi cab. The taxi cab driver saw the news about the zebra and then called APD and now he's home," Scott said.