DENVER — Thieves continue to target Regional Transportation District (RTD) Park-n-Ride lots in the Denver metro area. Break-ins are prevalent, but gas theft appears to be the biggest problem at the moment.
The Central Park Station appears to be ground zero for this kind of theft. Thieves drill into gas tanks underneath the vehicles and drain the gas into gas cans before taking off.
Denver7 crews counted five gas stains in one row of the lot.
“I think that is awful,” said Tamara James, who just returned from a trip to Florida to retrieve her car at the Central Park Station. “You go on a trip, and you come back and you don’t have any gas.”
“We do park here for the protection of our vehicles,” said James Hobson. “It’s convenient to drive our cars here, but if it’s not being protected, we’ll have to make other arrangements.”
The gas theft is well-documented. One video shared with Denver7 shows gas pouring out of the tank of a Ford Raptor pickup truck. The owner said it happened while he and his family were at a Rockies game.
“The first thing I noticed was the smell of gas,” he said. “That was well over $150 in gas, and replacing the tank was $4,000.”
It’s not just gas theft plaguing these lots. Denver7 cameras were there Monday as a man was stopped by police while riding a stolen bike.
Lidia Williams works at the airport and parks at an RTD station every day.
“I see a lot of cars windows broken every night,” Williams said. “Every night.”
Ironically, she said she has no other choice but to park here because of gas prices.
“Because the gas is too expensive,” Williams said. “I can’t drive every day to the airport and come back.”
RTD told Denver7 there are more than 20 surveillance cameras at this station alone, but Williams said when her friend’s car was recently targeted, police told her the cameras don’t always work.
“They went to the police and the cameras don’t work,” Williams said. “Don’t work for years.”
RTD said it is working with Denver police on all reported incidents.
“I mean, this is RTD’s property, so they should be responsible,” Hobson said.