Fences, razor wire, heavy lifting and even security cameras don’t seem to deter a squad of thieves who have been stealing dozens of propane and acetylene tanks from Northeast businesses in recent weeks.
Police hope that surveillance video will help them identify the crooks.
The first two rip-offs occurred late on Dec. 16 or early the following morning. Investigators believe that the thieves broke into the James D. Morrissey Inc. yard at 4720 Pennypack St. by cutting open a chained gate sometime between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. They cut their way through a second chain-link fence enclosure and stole 11 propane tanks ranging in weight from 20 to 100 pounds and valued at about $3,000.
Also on Dec. 16 between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m., the thieves similarly broke into Phax-Air at 2300 Church St. and made off with 24 propane tanks valued at about $4,800. They returned to Phax-Air on Dec. 22 at about 1:20 a.m. and stole six acetylene tanks.
At least three conspirators and two vehicles, possibly a white Ford Escape and a dark Dodge Caravan, were involved in the Dec. 16 incident on Church Street. In each case, the thieves wore hooded shirts and their faces were not recorded by the cameras.
Visit the Philadelphia Police channel on YouTube.com to view surveillance video. Call 215–686-TIPS or text to PPD TIP to report information. ••
