Moment swarm of 40 looters ransacks Memphis gas stations – with one of the goons even seen ripping an illuminated SIGN from its base
- Forty looters vandalized two gas stations in Tennessee on Saturday
- They stole more than $17,000 worth of merchandise and wreaked havoc on the stores
- At the Fill-N-Go, one suspect pointed a gun at a person inside
More than three dozen suspects vandalized two Tennessee gas stations and shoplifted, stealing more than $17,000 worth of merchandise and destroying the inside of the stores, in a slew of Saturday night thefts.
Police say the gang attacked an Exxon station and a Fill-N-Go gas station in Memphis on Saturday evening.
Video of WREG shows the group wreaking havoc on the store, and at one point a thief is seen ripping a lighted sign from its base near the door.
The robbers are seen knocking over stands and carrying out boxes of goods, many of which slip as they leave through the door.
Shortly after 10 p.m., a gang of 30 to 40 suspects entered the Exxon at 3483 Airways Boulevard and stole $2,000 worth of merchandise, according to police.
At one point, a thief is seen ripping a lighted sign from its base near the door
More than two dozen suspects vandalized and shoplifted at two gas stations in Tennessee, stealing more than $17,000 worth of merchandise
Shortly thereafter, at 11:50 p.m., a group of 40 looters entered the Fill-N-Go gas station at 3084 South Third Street.
Authorities said the group caused about $9,000 worth of damage to the store and stole $15,000 worth of merchandise.
A person inside the Fill-N-Go said one of the suspects, wearing a black Nike ski mask, a black hoodie, blue jeans and a black bag across his chest, pointed a gun at him.
Police said the armed suspect was in the passenger seat a newer model white Mitsubishi Outlander, and the driver is a woman wearing a black sweater, green T-shirt, black tights and black slippers.
No arrests have been made in connection with the gas station burglaries.
The shoplifting wasn’t the only devastation in Memphis over the weekend, as other high-profile robberies were also reported. ABC-24 reported that one of the burglaries on Saturday evening included a FedEx tractor-trailer being broken into and packages stolen from it.
Officers received a report of a theft shortly after 8:30 p.m. and saw several vehicles driving away.
Looters stole $2,000 worth of merchandise from the Exxon and caused about $9,000 in damage to the store and stole $15,000 worth of merchandise from the Fill-N-Go
The complainant said the FedEx truck was broken into when several cars blocked it at an intersection and stole packages from the back after breaking the security latch.
Early Sunday morning, security at Breezy Point Apartments arrested three suspects they identified as the men who broke into the FedEx truck.
Security found four kicker speakers, a vehicle headlight, a 14-piece pot and pan set, a cardboard box with air lines and three direct wiring boxes in the suspect’s vehicle.
One suspect allegedly said that he found the items on the street and picked them up.
September data shows major violent crimes in Memphis are up 10 percent year-to-date and major property crimes are up 29 percent.