McKENNA, Wash. - Gas thieves are repeatedly targeting one car dealership in rural Pierce County. The crimes have gotten so bad, the owner says gas is stolen from his cars almost every night of the week.
Almost every day at Baydo Chevrolet in McKenna, the staff finds a gas cap open on a car, or a hole punched in a gas tank. The gas has been stolen.
The thieves don't just take gas. They have stolen nine cars, a backhoe, and a 20-foot cargo trailer. They've broken into a storage shed twice to steal detailing equipment.
When the equipment was moved to a more secured storage unit, they broke into that too.
"We've lost well over $200,000 in merchandise and equipment," said Walt Baydo, owner of the dealership.
The situation got so bad that an employee started sleeping in a trailer on the property. But the thieves just stole the gas from the trailer, too, while the employee was inside.
Surveillance cameras don't seem to discourage the suspects.
In this rural part of the county, Pierce County deputies can only patrol so often. Budget cuts forced the department to trim 15 positions in the last 6 months.
"It's not just us either. It's the community in general. Roy, McKenna, Yelm," said Baydo.
Baydo Chevrolet will host a town hall meeting Tuesday night with law enforcement and lawmakers. Residents and business owners hope with some group brainstorming, they'll find a solution. The town hall meeting will be Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
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