Prince George’s County police are warning people to be alert while filling up at the pump after a series of gas station purse-snatchings.
There were four such crimes in three hours Thursday:
- 9:46 a.m. at the Sunoco at Sherrif and Addison
- 9:48 a.m. at the Sunoco at 6300 Oxon Hill Road
- 10:33 a.m. at the Wawa at 1401 Hampton Park Blvd.
- 12:36 p.m. at the Shell station at 5600 St. Barnabas Road
“We know that it’s a traumatic crime for a victim to have their personal items taken and a lot of times within their view, so we really feel for that victim,” Prince George’s County police Maj. George Nader said. “We want to bring closure to that case.”
Surveillance video from Wednesday at a Food Mart on Sheriff Road shows a woman pay for gas and walk toward her car to fill up when a Mercedes SUV slowly pulls into the station. The SUV circles slowly as the gas is pumped and positions for a quick getaway as the woman gets into her car. Then a person sneaks over and waits for the right time to grab her purse through the passenger side window after the woman placed it in the passenger seat.
Anyone with information about the case should call police at 301-772-4911 or Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS/8477.
