Garden Grove police have asked for the community’s help in locating three suspects who beat a man and stole his car from a gas station.
The incident happened at 5 a.m. Monday at Station 76 in the 12500 block of Knott Street in the North Orange County community.
“It’s a crime of opportunity,” Garden Grove Police Sgt. Nick Jensen said.
Surveillance footage shows a man approaching a customer who was putting gas in his car to distract him. Meanwhile, a second suspect opens the passenger side car door.
Seconds later, the first suspect starts hitting the customer.
A third suspect then approaches and attacks the victim as well, leaving him no choice but to attempt to flee.
“When people want something, they go to other levels to get what they want,” said Julio Sánchez, another customer at the gas station who was surprised when he learned what happened. passed by this place.
“You think more every time you get out of the car and you want to see what’s going on around you,” Sánchez said.
The victim was not taken to hospital, but was slightly injured.
“Fortunately, he was not hurt any more than he could have been because they didn’t use any weapons. It could have been worse,” Jensen said.
The suspects fled in the victim’s vehicle and the car was found abandoned hours later in Westminster.
One attacker was described as a man in his 20s, about 5ft 8in tall, wearing a white puffer jacket and red pants. Another attacker is a man in his twenties, about 5ft 6in tall, wearing a black hoodie with a white pattern and light colored pants. The third attacker was described as a man in his twenties, about 5ft 6in tall, wearing a black hoodie and light colored pants.
Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 714-741-5837 or email Detective Dennis Wardle at [email protected].