Thursday, July 26, 2007

Attempted smash and grab in Duncanville caught on tape

By Angel Morris of Duncanville TODAY

Smash and grab crimes have made their way to Duncanville.

Duncanville TODAY

The story you are reading was originally published in Duncanville TODAY.

Be sure to check out the TODAY Newspapers Online for more in-depth community news coverage.

Duncanville police are searching for suspects who tried to use the crash-and-dash technique in the city July 20.

Police report that the burglary attempt occurred at about 3:45 a.m., when a number of suspects attempted to back through the front door of a local business in a green Chevrolet truck.

According to Officer Doug Sisk, video captures three suspects exiting the truck when it entered the Speedee Bee No. 3 convenience store parking lot, located at 1944 S. Main St.

“The suspects then hid around the corner of the building while another suspect moved the truck in position to ram the building,” Sisk said.

Once the truck had rammed the building, suspects ran to the front expecting to burglarize the facility, Sisk reported. Instead, they found the truck had damaged the store but created no hole for entry.

“It appeared at this point the traffic on the streets possibly scared the suspects and they all got into the vehicle and fled the location,” Sisk said, and a witness arriving at the scene corroborated this account.

Criminals across the country have been increasingly using the smash-and-grab technique, ramming fronts of stores then quickly entering and stealing what they can.

In the Duncanville incident, it appears the criminals may have been trying to gain access to an ATM machine inside the store - another crime growing in popularity in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

While glass windows at street level are commonly used to showcase store products, they are making stores increasingly susceptible to crime.

According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, almost 70 percent of all burglaries involve forced entry through a window or door.

Surveillance video of the Duncanville crime can be seen at www.duncanville.com/po lice_video.shtm.

Duncanville Police Department asks anyone with information on the identity of any of the suspects or the possible owner of the green Chevrolet truck to call 972-780 -5037.

Pegasus News content partner - Duncanville TODAY

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• Crime > Burglary / Robbery / Theft