OPPORTUNISTIC: A footage from the petrol station’s CCTV shows the thief hanging around the station before fleeing the scene with the pick-up.
KUCHING: Momentary lapse of judgement was all it took for a senior citizen to lose his pick-up after it was driven off by a thief at a petrol station here on Thursday.
The incident occurred around 10.50pm when the 59-year-old man pulled into a petrol station in Tabuan Jaya, and left the engine of his black Toyota Hilux running as he walked just a few feet to the counter to make an enquiry.
Within seconds, an unknown man clad in a red shirt and long pants got into the vehicle, reversed it out of the station and sped off.
The victim tried to chase after his pick-up when he realised what was happening, but could only watch helplessly as the thief drove off and disappeared from sight.
The incident was captured on the station’s closed-circuit television system, which showed the car thief walking towards the Hilux from the rear the moment the owner made his way to the counter.
The footage also revealed the thief had been pacing back-and-forth in the vicinity of the petrol station prior to the incident, as though biding his time to strike the moment an opportunity arose.
A police report has been lodged and the case is being investigated.
Also on Thursday night, a teenager’s brief stop at a coffee shop ended with the theft of his employer’s Toyota Hilux.
The 19-year-old was having supper at a coffee shop at Jalan Dogan, after earlier playing basketball with his friends at a court in Batu Kawah. The theft happened around 11pm.
According to him, he was at the coffee shop only for a short period and was preparing to depart for home when he discovered his company vehicle was no longer where he had parked it.
Police are investigating.