West Seattle Crime Watch: Car theft; suspected gas theft

Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes this morning:

STOLEN CAR: Watch for Brian‘s car, a “light blue 91 Toyota Camry stolen last night from in front of my house on 60th and Admiral.” (map) As noted in the SPD @getyourcarback tweet (which includes the plate #), please call 911 if you see it.

STOLEN GAS? From Jon at 38th/Graham {map):

I want to report what seems to be a case of gas siphoning from my vehicle. This morning at 5:20 am, I came out to my truck to go to work. As I was waiting for it to warm up (it’s an older truck) I noticed the gas gauge dropping down to empty. I had just filled up last week and had only done 73 miles, so it should have been over 3/4 full. When the gauge hit zero, I turned the engine off and checked underneath for a fuel leak – nothing. I looked at the gas cap door and saw that it was bent and easily opened. I don’t have a locking gas cap, so I think someone has been siphoning off gas from my truck.

Jon’s household also has a car but he says it was not touched.

9 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: Car theft; suspected gas theft"

  • Rick April 28, 2014 (10:12 am)

    Not blaming the victim but maybe we shouldn’t leave gas in our gas tanks around here.

    • WSB April 28, 2014 (10:23 am)

      Which leads me oddly to wonder if electricity can be stolen from electric vehicles …

  • heather April 28, 2014 (11:27 am)

    We clearly need to monitor the buyers of garden and plumbing hose…hoses used with malicious intent.

  • sam-c April 28, 2014 (12:01 pm)

    then what, should we outlaw hoses altogether? it’s not malicious, but watering the garden is a waste of perfectly good potable water! and require people to water with only what they capture in rain barrels.
    I jest.

    i’m sorry someone stole the gas, sounds like a hassle

  • heather April 28, 2014 (12:18 pm)

    …was being silly

  • sam-c April 28, 2014 (12:55 pm)

    yes, and so was i… (was also assuming Rick’s comment was in jest as well)

  • west-side April 28, 2014 (2:40 pm)

    don’t know the year of your truck, but this certainly worked well to thwart a gas stealing teenager in my dads old car.
    http://www.gasbanditblocker.com/

  • watertowerjoey April 28, 2014 (5:00 pm)

    Not sure of your parking situation, but IF your gas cap is on the passenger side AND you park in an alley you can always park really close to a fence or garage so that they don’t have enough room to access the gas cap.

    They also make a “coil-like” thingy that makes it impossible to run a hose all the way down into the gas tank.

  • westcoastdeb April 28, 2014 (8:04 pm)

    The gas bandit blocker is great, so are locking gas caps, but if someone really wants your fuel, they will cut your filler neck hose – the hose that runs from where you put the gas in down to your tank.
    Not a whole lot you can do (aside from parking in a garage, which not everyone has access to) to keep thieves at bay.

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