Watch a daring car theft with a criminal sneaking around on their hands and knees at a gas station
A car theft happens in America nearly twice a minute. Unfortunately, it’s a crime that simply isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It’s not just darkened parking lots, either. In this case, a shameless car thief in New Jersey stole a stationary sedan from a gas station in plain view of a pump attendant and the vehicle’s owner.
Gas station footage captured a brazen car theft as a criminal crawls around a sedan to steal it right under the owner’s nose
Sure, movies and video games paint car thefts out to be glamorous, technical undertakings. Sometimes, however, a car theft is an opportunist seizing a moment. That’s what one New Jersey man thought when he snuck around a stationary sedan at a gas station to slip into the driver’s seat.
Gas station security camera footage captured a white BMW X5 as it parked ahead of pump No. 4. A man emerged from the waiting BMW SUV, leaving the passenger-side rear door open as he did. Crouching low, the man approached the dark sedan at the pump.
New Jersey hasn’t allowed self-service at gas stations since the late 1940s. As such, the owner of the sedan was standing away from the vehicle as an attendant filled multiple cars.
The criminal took advantage of the moment, crawling and scooting around the front of the sedan as the attendant worked the pump and the owner had their back turned. Surprisingly, the man performed the maneuver under bright overhead lights without being noticed.
By the time the attendant and the sedan’s owner noticed what was happening, the car theft was all but complete. In a last attempt to stop the crime, the owner opened the vehicle’s driver-side door.
However, after a brief altercation, the owner took a step back. It was a prudent move, considering the risk of fighting a desperate stranger. According to NBC New York, the owner backed off from the car theft because he “feared the suspect might have had a weapon.” Moments later, the newly stolen car and the white BMW SUV took off into the night.
It’s a sobering reminder to remain vigilant at gas stations. Bright overhead lighting and an attendant are not promises of security. Check out this article detailing how to stand next to your car at a gas station as told by a retired Secret Service agent.
