Thieves Target Patrons at Bowie-Area Gas Station

Prince George's County police are warning Bowie area residents to be on the looking out for thieves snatching purses, phones and other personal belongings from vehicles while car owners are pumping gas.

In once instance, the same thief was caught on surveillance video targeting two separate vehicles at the Safeway gas station in the Fairwood section of Bowie.


Police say these thefts are crimes of opportunity. As can be seen in the video, the thefts take seconds. The thief sneaks up to the unoccupied car, snatches valuables that are in plain view, and retreats—all before the owner has finished pumping gas into the vehicle. 

Officers were at the Fairwood Safeway gas station Monday morning to raise awareness of these crimes. 

Law enforcement have long advised citizens to keep their vehicles locked and to keep valuables out of plain site to deter theft from parked cars, and are asking people to do the same to deter this recent rash of gas station thefts, Lt. Bill Alexander, a spokesperson for PGPD, said in an interview. 

"We're asking people to keep their cars lock even when they are standing right next to them and to keep valuables locked away or at least out of plain sight," said Alexander.

Police are also asking residents to be more alert and aware of their surroundings, to keep their "head on a swivel" Alexander said, and to be constantly looking all around while pumping gas. 

"It literally takes just seconds," Alexander said of the gas station thefts.

He said in the time it takes a patron to swipe his or her card, place it back in the vehicle and turn to lift the pump nozzle to begin pumping gas, the thief may already have been in and out of the car.

"They are in your car having stolen something and you aren't even aware you are a victim of a crime," Alexander said.

Surveillance video courtesy PGPD.