Thieves target running cars at gas stations

CHICAGO, IL — Drivers in Chicago are being warned about thieves targeting cars left running at gas stations.

It can happen quickly. The owner of a West Loop gas station showed a video of the most recent theft.

"Not even a minute. You are talking about 30 seconds, not even that," said Suresh Loganathan.

That video is now part of an FBI investigation.

On July 3 morning, an FBI agent had his FBI-issued car and guns stolen. But it appears the vehicle was still on when the thieves escaped with the booty.

The case got a lot of attention, but the gas station owner said there were two other incidents in the last four months in which the motorist left the car running and thieves took off in the cars.

"Everything happened too fast, in the blink of an eye, that’s it," Loganathan said.

"Don’t leave your car running with the keys in it. A lot of these are crimes of opportunity. If you don’t give them that opportunity, then there won’t be a crime," said Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

It is not only a security issue, it can also be a safety issue. The American Petroleum Institute made an appeal to turn off the vehicle when fuelling as fumes can be flammable.