Douglasville police have released a video that shows just how fast you can become a victim while innocently pumping gas.
In the wake of several blink-and-you-miss-it property thefts at local gas stations, the department is warning the public to lock their cars while sitting at the pump - and hide valuables and obvious targets like purses.
“They’re looking for people who aren’t paying attention, and have their cars unlocked while they’re pumping gas,” Douglasville Police Captain J.R. Davidson said.
The video shows a gray car back up near a gas pump in Douglasville. A passenger gets out and looks around briefly before getting back in the vehicle. Then the driver makes his move, hopping out of the car and opening a neighboring vehicle's door just long enough to make the steal.
The car then immediately speeds away as the victim continues operating the pump - not even aware that she had just become a victim.
"As you can see from the video it took the suspect 8 seconds to reach into the unlocked vehicle and steal a purse," the police department's post said.
They're being dubbed "slider crimes" and have become increasingly common in metro Atlanta.
That's only one of the more recent of five similar crimes that Douglasville police believe are all related. With the suspects' heads covered in the surveillance video, officers still don't have a clear description of the thieves. The crew also apparently drives different vehicles to keep police guessing. But that doesn't mean they are without any leads.
Officers spotted one of the cars on I-20, Sunday, and gave chase. But, ultimately, they gave up the pursuit due to weather, speed and increased traffic. Authorities believe the suspects are from Atlanta but don't have much more info to share right now.
In the meantime, police are hoping residents will take the time to lock up their cars and hide anything of value. Otherwise, fueling up might cost more than the price of gas.
