The Carson City Sheriff’s Office is attempting identify potential suspects in gasoline thefts that occurred in Carson City last week.
On March 17, 2022 at about 3:00 pm, a Carson City resident was eating lunch inside her Mercedes Sprinter Van while parked in the Lowe’s Home Improvement Store parking lot at 430 Fairview Drive.
The victim heard the sound of drilling underneath her van. The victim exited her van to find two vehicles had parked close to either side of the van. Multiple people were standing to the rear of her van.
When the victim asked what they were doing, someone from under the van yelled “ Let’s get out of here.”
The suspects left area in a dark colored Chevy Tahoe and a gray Ford F-150 truck. The suspects had drilled a hole into the victim’s gas tank and gas was now spilling out of a bucket the suspects had been using to collect the gasoline.
The suspects then went into neighboring Lyon County and again drilled holes in gas tanks on vehicles in the Moundhouse area on Highway 50.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office obtained a California license plate for the Chevy Tahoe, CA 8WBH039 from Galt California. The Chevy Tahoe was last seen traveling west on I-80 in Reno Nevada toward the California state line at about 6 pm on March 17th.
Detectives then learned the suspects had stolen gasoline from vehicles parked at the Carson City Home Depot at 3185 Market Street at about 2 pm on March 17th.
A female passenger in the Chevy Tahoe was identified as twenty-two-year-old Barbara Hansen from Stockton California. Detectives contacted Barbara by phone and she was not cooperative.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, Investigation Division, Detective Sam Hatley (775)283-7852, Sgt. Craig Lowe (775)283-7815, Carson City Dispatch (775)887-2007
(The Carson City Sheriff's Office assisted in this report.)
