Another vehicle burglary
logger7
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This one has a better than expected ending:
INVESTIGATING AGENCY: Loxley PD
REPORT NUMBER: 240667
TYPE OF INCIDENT: Vehicle Burglary
DATE OCCURRED: 8/18/24
INCIDENT LOCATION: Loxley, Alabama
On Sunday August 18, 2024 two dealers traveling home from the Tyler, Texas coin show were victims of a vehicle burglary that occurred at a Buc-ee's in Loxley, Alabama. The suspects broke into the victims vehicle and removed inventory valued at over a half million dollars. Fortunately, an off-duty police officer was working on premise and radioed for immediate assistance and provided a description of the suspect vehicle. One of the victim's had an iPad in one of the stolen bags and the location was trackable using the "Find My App".
Law enforcement officer's responded to the location of the iPad and upon arrival located three suspects and two vehicles. The suspects fled the scene and only one was arrested. The investigation is on-going and further details will be released when available. However, due to the quick response by police it appears that a large quantity of stolen property has been recovered.
NCIC is currently working with investigators to determine if the suspect/suspects are linked to other offenses that have occurred across the country.
Anyone with Information Contact:
Doug Davis
817-723-7231
Comments
Wow. Take care out there, everyone.
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
Being from Canada, I'm completely ignorant of what a 'Buc-ee's' is, but I'm suspecting (like in most robberies after a coin show) that it's a restaurant.
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
Buc-ee's is a gas station and is a little slice of Texas heaven.
Glad at least one person has been apprehended so far!
I'm not a coin dealer but I often read of these thefts when the dealer stops for dinner. I think I would just eat my meals from a fast food drive through. Also, assuming the thief may follow me all the way home to see where I live, I'd drive around a neighborhood (not my own) to see if I'm being followed.
I wonder if he's even still in custody with all the bail reform and no-bail prosecutors we have these days.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
If there were two dealers sharing the same ride, you would think one dealer would stay with the car while the other dealer went inside.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Holy Smoke!!.....now that's a gas station!
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
Wow. Take care out there, everyone.
Starting with not leaving your inventory unattended in the car while you feed your tapeworm.
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In Alabama? Not exactly a typical bastion of progressive policies.
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I wonder, did they follow them all the way from Tyler, tx.? Buc-ees is a big place to be ramdonly picked out.
I enjoy going to buc-ees, priority stop whenever we go by one. Lol
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I suppose if you had to stop somewhere for food and a restroom break that parking at the front entrance doors to a Buc-ee's would the best choice. The amount of foot traffic going in and out of the store would probably discourage at least some thieves.
Agree. I used to travel to coin shows with a fellow collector. If we stopped to eat he always asked for a table by a window on the side where our car was parked.
I just visited this exact Buck-ees for the first time about a month ago, its huge.
They have a dozen flavors of beef jerky, and make hot food in the inside, Brisket, pulled pork etc.
That sucks to hear about the robbery, the place was very Busy on both stops (one going to Florida, one coming back) and Im glad the Security acted quickly and they were able to recover most of the inventory.
Stay diligent people
It's all about what the people want...
Every Buc-ee’s I’ve been to is HUGE & heavily trafficked. It’s a bit odd for the perps to pick a location like this, but I think we all hope the other two are caught & for the best possible outcome for the two dealers.
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
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The perps may have been following the two coin dealers from a coin show and the two coin dealers decided to stop here to refuel, use the restroom, and get some lunch.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
@PerryHall: I think you’re 100% correct.
The point I didn’t articulate well was these Buc-ee’s locations are massive, almost a mini city with lots of folks coming & going at all hours. They’re truly a “slice of Texas” as a previous poster stated - numerous gas pumps (I think their latest location has over 200), food shopping & eating choices + the biggest variety store I’ve ever seen. All I’ve been to are in high traffic locations with easy access.
Bottom line is this was a high risk robbery, but I don’t have the mind of a perp.
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
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Not to nit-pick but it was a "vehicle burglary" rather than a "robbery."
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
@PerryHall: correct; still high risk at a location like this.
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
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Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
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Great news. I read the story on Numismatic Crime News email I received yesterday. Wonderful that one was caught and hopefully the pair that got away will be caught before they sell whatever they kept in their pockets upon fleeing.
Jim
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I thought we cleared this up on the previous 30 threads lol
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The problem with your idea is that today many of the crooks use air tags so you can drive around for 24 hrs if you like, but once you stop the thieves know where you are/live. This does seem like a very high-risk place to attempt the burglary, lots of people and cameras.
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nobody got hurt or killed, ya gotta look at the other side sometimes, just saying
I didn't think of that. Very true. I guess the only way to beat that would be to rent a car.
Glad they captured someone! Maybe they will have armed security next time they carry that much inventory around.
I'm thinking of the scene from Casino where Joe Pesci changes cars half a dozen times in different parking garages to shake all his tails...
I really think that may be the very best way to defeat the tracking devices issue, it's not perfect or foolproof but could really help.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
I actually like this idea. Dealers should seriously consider doing this.
I do notice , however, that most/all of these post-show robberies/burglaries occur while en route home, rather than at the dealer's home or business. It might be that the bad guys know the chances of facing "instant justice" increase dramatically if the crime is committed on private property. That, or maybe they know that a car burglary has fewer legal consequences.
As best I can tell, it wasn't another "robbery".
"Alabama defines robbery as using force against a person intending to overcome his physical resistance or physical power of resistance during a theft or threatening the imminent use of force against a person intending to compel acquiescence to the taking of or escaping with stolen property."
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Even then, the dealer sitting in the car would be a sitting duck for armed thieves. Which isn't to say that you might as well leave your inventory in an unattended vehicle, of course.
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If I was carrying a half a million dollars of inventory, you can bet I would be armed also!
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FWIW, it’s 519 miles from Tyler TX to Loxley AL….
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
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Glad to hear the cops were quick fast and in a hurry on this! Scary thing, traveling with your inventory far from home and dangerous too.
On a lighter note….
They could’ve stopped here! It may have solved part of the problem.
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When are dealers going to stop going inside restaurants on the way home?
It's very hard to imagine that the thieves would follow someone that long unless they were virtually certain that they'd be successful in obtaining a large amount of liquid value.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Finding the stolen goods because of the iPad reminds me that, if I ever start selling coins at coin shows to remember to throw in some AirTags inside of a slab or 2 and mixing them in with the other coins. Like use those diy slabs. The AirTags are probably small enough to fit into the slab somehow
Even better if an AirTag is available that’s small enough to fit inside a covert coin. I wonder if it would block the signal? Maybe someone can invent an AirTag covert coin that’s ready to use. If these became available it would help find stolen goods but also would act as a deterrent if the criminals know they are in widespread use. Just hollow out a bunch of Chinese counterfeit coins of different denominations, put in AirTags and mix them in with your inventory of coins
Mr_Spud
Tile trackers are very cheap.
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For the vast majority of Americans a half a million is considerably more they are able to save in a lifetime, so even if they followed a dealer with that much and failed 99 times, the one "success" would more than justify all the others.
We don’t know if the thieves were aware of how much value the dealer had. And even if they did, there almost certainly had to be other potential targets that had a lot of value and/or might not be driving nearly that far.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Amazing that there are no links to this coin theft.
Half a million dollars for driving 519 miles could seem pretty attractive to some very bad people. These dealers are fortunate to have their lives.
I won’t even begin to explain the extent I’d go to defending half a million dollars. To someone of my socioeconomic background that amount of money or coin equivalent is like hitting the Powerball. And yet, there are many, many far worse off than I’ve ever been. So yes, some desperado scumbag criminals will absolutely put in that work.
Having fun while switching things up and focusing on a next level PCGS slabbed 1950+ type set, while still looking for great examples for the 7070.
I don’t doubt that many criminals would put in the work for anywhere near that large of a payoff.
It’s just that I wonder whether they knew the approximate value, how many other potential targets might have presented better opportunities and why they chose the one they did.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
What's interesting about this scenario is that while at a coin show your basically showing the customer or potential thief "hey look what I have".
Then they look at the target to determine if they would be dangerous In a defensive way. If it looks like an easy score they become a mark.
Carrying a gun across state lines is typically not an option. Even if it were would you really want to have a shoot out with some desperate thieves or just hand over your inventory and leave with your life in tact without putting yourself and others in danger.
I am afraid to say it but it's becoming almost to dangerous to set up at coin shows for the big dealers.
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My wife has stopped at buckee's before, but I hadnt until I rode down to florida to visit my son last month and we stopped at the Daytona Beach location. I have never in my life seen that many people coming and going at a truck stop type place. i thought I was in grand central station or ohaire airport. To keep it coin related, luckily they got quick repsonse to get most of their inventory back, but in a case like this, I would leave somebody in car, and take turns using restroom etc.
Looking for a slight sliver of a silver lining . . . . . (appreciate the alliteration?)
Every time one of these makes it to the front page of the Boards, it inspires a rousing discussion about security within my very small circle of (what you might call) two-bit dealers. Honestly, we go over every inch of our travel routes, show prep, ideas about vulnerability, examinations of any chinks in the armor, and future options to stay safer. I bet I am not alone.
As we continue to experience these nefarious acts, sometimes the best we can do, if we choose to continue down the dealer road, is to be vigilant, learn from the mistakes of others, and 'think like a thief' in order to stay hopefully one step ahead.
Drunner
Not for me. That's why they hit coin dealers! They're such easy marks for scoring a half million dollars.
For the fun of argumentation, I disagree, and suspect coin show thieves do a lot of driving chasing a lot of coin dealers to pull off one successful burglary. That's a small sacrifice for a $500K score. They probably look for a certain type of person who is more likely to take a break such as an overweight older dealer to improve their chances.
I got $2.97 gas at a Bucees about three weeks ago.
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I was at a local coin show in Houston yesterday and one of the dealers mentioned that at the last show there he was robbed in the parking lot while taking his inventory out to his vehicle. When I asked him if the officer that is on the premises was going to escort him to his vehicle this time he said that they declined his request.
Aside from the one box containing some precious metals which the robbers dropped while running to their BMW he said that the rest of the inventory that was stolen has yet to be recovered. This is despite him informing the police where the AirTag was stopping at around town.
they selling gasoline by the half gallon now?!
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