Investigators are releasing surveillance video with the hope that someone may come forward with more information. The video, captured just before 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018 in the area of 118 Avenue and 159 Street, shows an unknown male exiting a minivan, removing fuel from a neighbouring vehicle, adding the fuel to the minivan and then leaving the scene.
“Since early February, we’ve received an additional half dozen fuel theft reports,” says Det. Richard Windover with West Division. “We’re hopeful that someone may recognize the individual or the vehicle in this video so we can bring this costly crime series to an end.”
Anyone with information about these thefts is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm.
Background
From mid-December 2017 to early February 2018, the EPS received over a dozen reports of gasoline and diesel being removed from SUVs, with thieves removing the fuel by drilling holes in the vehicles’ gas tanks.
Investigators received reports from all across Edmonton with a concentration of thefts in southwest, west and northwest neighbourhoods. Several of the reports noted a silver or grey minivan in the area at the time of the thefts, which is of interest to investigators.