Security video shows thieves stealing gas from Folsom day care van
By Michelle Bandur
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FOLSOM, California (KCRA) — Thieves hit two Folsom day cares in the past few weeks, going after the gasoline in their vans.
Kids Inc. is the latest daycare forced to replace a van’s gas tank after the thieves cut into it stealing the gas.
The Folsom Police Department said with high gas prices, criminals are desperate to fill up their own tanks.
Kids Inc. owner Kelli Vaccaro said she knew something was wrong when she came into work Sunday morning.
“I pulled in and I could smell the gas,” Vaccaro said. “That’s how strong it was.”
She said she’s seen this before. Vans at all three of her daycares have been hit four times in the past few years.
“Because I experienced this before, I knew exactly what took place,” she said.
She said it wasn’t just siphoning the gas. Thieves actually go underneath the van and cut the gas tank.
Surveillance video shows two thieves tampering with one of the vans at the day care overnight, filling up buckets with gas. They take turns going underneath the van that’s out of the camera frame. The two spent about 20 minutes cutting the fuel tank.
Vaccaro said it’s a gut punch to the small business.
“It’s not only the stress of having to deal with what are we going to do and how are we going to transport the kids to school but also the expense of what’s happening to our business,” she said.
Adding to the $2,500 expense of the van repairs, Vaccaro needed a rental van.
One van takes care of the needs of 10 families to get children to and from school. She transports 75 students from this location on a daily basis.
“I understand gas is expensive,” she said. “But how much gas did they get? And how many more people are going to get hit for it to be worth it for them?”
Another camera angle captures the thieves leaving, heading west toward Ernie Sheldon Park next door.
They come back and get away with gas from the van, leaving it empty and no way to drive it.
“My worry is when are they going to come back again to hit another one?” Vaccaro said.
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