News Releases

Update: Gas Station Auto/Property Thefts Continue

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Department – Centralized Auto Theft Section have been investigating a series of auto/ property thefts.  Over the last approximately three months, 12 theft from vehicles and 6 vehicle thefts have occurred at gas stations while people have been filling up their vehicles with gas.   The most recent incidents are as follows:

• Oct 31, 06:36 a.m. 10211  Westlake Drive, Shell gas station.  A purse was stolen from the victim's vehicle as the victim walked away from her vehicle to go into the gas station.
• Oct 31, 07:53 a.m. 8384 Colesville Road, Exxon. The victim's purse was stolen.
• Nov 4, 06:20 a.m. 7980 Georia Ave, 7-11.  Stolen vehicle.  The vehicle was left unattended with the keys in it while the victim entered the store.

Investigators believe that during these gas station thefts, the suspects look for a distracted victim; for example, a person who is outside of their vehicle paying for their gas purchase or who is talking on his/her cell phone. While the victim is outside of his/her vehicle and is distracted, the suspect quickly enters the victim’s vehicle. Often before the victim realizes what has occurred, the suspect(s) have fled the area. In some incidents, only property has been stolen. The gas stations where these vehicle thefts have occurred have been in close proximity to the District of Columbia and the Capital Beltway. The time frame for the thefts have been both morning and afternoon.

Police again urge residents to remove their keys from their vehicle's ignition and lock their vehicles while they are at gas stations.  Anyone with information about these thefts is asked to call the Centralized Auto Theft Section at 240-773-6370.

Initial Release: Detectives Investigate Series of Gas Station Auto/Property Thefts

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Release ID: 14-407
Media Contact: mcpnews 
Categories: uncategorized