ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — A bold crime in our state’s capital. On one of the busiest streets in Annapolis, several vehicles have their gas stolen, right out of the gas tank.

Vic Carter reports police are on the lookout for the people responsible.

Gas thieves are striking parked cars in Annapolis by going straight for the gas tank.

“You know it’s brazen, is all I can say,” said one person.

Police say they’re drilling holes directly into the gas tanks of small trucks, a potentially explosive situation.

“The gas tanks these days are plastic but your drill obviously is going to be metal. It’s going to create some friction,” said Annapolis Police Detective Amy Miguez.

“I think they’re stupid because one of these days it’s going to blow up and it’s not going to hurt just one person,” said mechanic Pete Parkinson.

Parkinson is a mechanic on West Street, where the gas hog has targeted a dozen trucks. It started last week with a customer’s truck left overnight to be serviced. Then, 11 brand new trucks were drilled into late Monday night.

“Unfortunately, you know it’s not going to be something you might notice right away. The reason they picked up on it was they saw the gas, little bits of gas underneath the car. They noticed the wetness, but you have a day when it’s raining or you don’t look every day, you might not notice the theft for a while,” Miguez said.

Investigators are now checking to see whether a nearby camera or two captured this new crime in progress.