Alexandria Police say a man is responsible for stealing $1,743 worth of tobacco products from two separate burglaries at a West End gas station.
The first incident at the Shell gas station at 5740 Edsall Road was on Wednesday, July 27. The suspect was recorded on video surveillance at 2:54 a.m. — nearly an hour after the station closed — taking several cartons of cigarettes, boxes of cigars and other items totaling $777.61, according to a search warrant affidavit.
Six days later, the same suspect was recorded breaking into the sales booth of the business just after midnight on August 2. He stole $965.75 worth of tobacco products, according to the search warrant.
“(T)he suspect rode a bicycle to the scene westbound on Edsall Road into the Shell gas station parking lot,” notes the affidavit. “Based on Your Affiant’s training and experience as well as review of the video surveillance, both burglaries were committed by the same suspect.
There were also a number of smash-and-grab incidents in the West End over the summer.
