El Paso County Sheriff’s Office on hunt for fuel thief, warns of increase in crime
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help locating a man they say stole gasoline out of several cars last week.
The Sheriff's Office says just before 2 a.m. on March 24, a heavy-set white man with long brown hair and a beard was seen on surveillance cameras siphoning gasoline from several vehicles parked at "A Good Mechanic" auto repair shop in the Security-Widefield area of unincorporated El Paso County.
The alleged thief was wearing light blue jeans, a dark hoodie, and gray shoes. His vehicle is described as a 1999-2004 silver Jeep Grand Cherokee that was missing its front bumper, had sun damage/oxidation to its hood, and had no attached front license plate.
Unfortunately, this is far from the only case the El Paso County Sheriff's Office has been investigating. They say the crime is on the rise around the county.
“We've had over 30 reports since the beginning of the year in various areas of unincorporated El Paso County," said Sgt. Jason Garrett, a Public Information Officer with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. "And I would imagine that there are probably an exponential number of more thefts that just have not gotten reported.”
In most of these situations thieves are siphoning out the gas. However, in some cases they’re even drilling into the gas tank, ruining the car.
The theft mentioned previously at the Security-Widefield auto body shop was caught on camera. But police say they aren’t always that lucky, despite most of these thefts happening in busy areas.
"The vast majority of the cases that we're taking are from densely populated areas, which for some, may be surprising," said Sgt. Garrett. "But if you think about it, in the cover of darkness and densely populated areas are actually more places for someone to sneak up and hide and do their thing without being noticed.”
The Sheriff’s Office says if you do become a victim, report it right away. That incident could be a small part of a larger crime spree.
"Both our agency and the Colorado Springs Police Department have what's called 'Criminal Intelligence Units,'" said Sgt. Garrett. "What may seem like an isolated incident for the person calling in, is probably a small part of a bigger crime spree. What our what our criminal intelligence units are able to do, is take bits and pieces of individual reports that come in, especially when we get suspect information, and turn those into arrests. It happens time and time again. So if if you were unfortunately victimized from this, I would highly encourage you to call that report in because every little piece of information helps to bring people to accountability."
Authorities urge residents to park their cars in well-lit areas, and not to leave them unattended for extended periods if possible. It's also suggested to avoid leaving your vehicle in park and ride areas overnight.
The Sheriff's Office also says if it's possible to invest in home surveillance technology, those videos and pictures can help apprehend suspects much faster.
If you have any information that may identify the suspect, call the Sheriff's Office tip line at 719-520-7777. If you have real-time information on the suspect's location call Dispatch at 719-390-5555.
