Conyers police search for car thieves targeting convenience stores
Police are looking for car thieves who are targeting victims at convenience stores located near Interstate 20. Surveillance footage captured Monday morning outside QuikTrip on Klondike Road shows one of the thieves attempting to steal a car while the holder is pumping gas. The possessor noticed the thief and chased the person away before his car was stolen. (Special photo)
CONYERS — Conyers and Rockdale County authorities are looking for a group of car thieves who show up to be targeting customers at convenience stores located near Interstate 20.
Conyers Police Department Officer Kim Lucas said the very first incident occurred around nine a.m. Dec. Twenty one at the Citgo gas station on Klondike Road. The victim left his car running and unlocked while he went to the store to make a purchase.
Lucas said he looked outside and spotted someone in a black masked, fur-lined jacket get out of the passenger’s side of another vehicle and drive away in his Infiniti.
About ten days later, on Dec. 31, a customer left a Dodge Ram pickup truck running while he went inwards the QuikTrip on Klondike Road around Two:30 that morning.
Lucas said that victim did not see anyone steal his truck, but when he looked outside, he witnessed the vehicle was gone.
“The truck was recovered about an hour later in DeKalb County under water,” said Lucas, indicating the strenuous rains may have had something to do with it being abandoned.
On Monday, the same thieves attempted to steal a man’s Mercedes as he was pumping gas around nine a.m. at the same QuikTrip.
Surveillance footage shows the suspects drive up to the victim’s car and a passenger get out and treatment the driver’s side door. Just as he attempted to get in the car, the victim ran toward him, scaring the thief away.
The suspects then drove out of the parking lot and shortly after that, the group is believed to have driven to the Shell gas station on Sigman Road near Interstate 20, where they stole a Nissan Maxima that had been left running while the holder was inwards the store. The group was seen leaving toward DeKalb County.
Lucas said that the victim of the attempted theft earlier in the morning at QT was able to get the tag number off the suspects’ vehicle, which was reportedly a rental car that was stolen out of Atlanta Sunday.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS.