According to authorities, three criminals used the life-saving “Jaws of Life” to break into ATMs at multiple Maryland 7-Eleven locations.
The gear is usually used to tear open crushed metal to rescue people who are dangerously trapped in cars after a collision.
According to a news statement from the Prince George’s County Police Department, three individuals were taken into custody by the department’s officers for a string of robberies that started in January.
Officers said that the masked robbers would enter the business after midnight and demand that staff members and any customers who might have been inside at the time get down at gunpoint.
Before escaping with cash, they would use the hydraulic tool to enter the ATM.
Authorities estimate that they stole about $200,000.
“This ‘Jaws of Life’ that they were using … to hatch an idea to use a tool for lifesaving, to come out and commit a crime and terrorize workers and business people and normal citizens who are shopping at those places, that right there, it’s always something new around the corner, to say ‘I’ll use such a great piece of equipment that has saved thousands of lives over the years, and I’ll use it for ill gain’,” Prince George’s Police Chief Malik Aziz stated, according to The Washington Post. “We learn to watch out for those things.”
Maurice Roots, age 34; Jeff Crews, age 33; and David Jerome Walker, age 39, are the suspects.
They are all three residents of Washington, D.C. The following robberies are connected to Crews and Walker.
January 29:
- Beltsville’s 7-Eleven located in the 1400 block of Cherry Hill Road
- Upper Marlboro’s 7-Eleven is located in the 100 block of Watkins Park Drive.
February 1st:
- 7-Eleven in Lanham, located at the 7900 block of Good Luck Road
February 6:
- The 7-Eleven located in Oxon Hill’s 6100 block of Oxon Hill Road
February 19:
- Beltsville’s 7-Eleven is located in the 11300 block of Baltimore Avenue.
On February 22, Roots, Crews, and Walker robbed a 7-Eleven located in the 9400 block of Lanham Severn Road in Lanham, police said. According to court filings, the three allegedly made out like bandits and fled with almost $32,000 during that theft.
Before they started working on the ATM, they allegedly pushed the worker to the ground and turned off the store’s security system.
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All three are still facing additional charges because police suspect they were involved in additional robberies.
“We have a belief that these may grow and that they did cross state lines and that there are going to be more [charges] added to this right here,” Aziz stated. “To me, it’s organized crime.”
According to court documents, the case broke when a Lexus GS 350 was seen escaping the scene in a security photo.
According to reports, police located the Lexus and installed a GPS tracking device on it. From there, investigators developed their case by monitoring the suspects.
At forty-five, Walker presently has the most charges, followed by Crews at forty-three. Roots is charged with seven offenses. According to police, cash and multiple firearms were found during a search of the suspects’ residences.
While they await extradition to Prince George’s County, Crews and Walker are being held in Washington, D.C. The Prince George’s County Department of Corrections is currently holding Roots.
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