Carmel gas station latest to fall victim to an attempted break-in

A 76 gas station in Carmel on Carmel Rancho Blvd. is the latest convenience store in Monterey County to fall victim to an attempted break-in, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department. It is the fourth of its kind since Monday in Monterey County.

According to the sheriff’s department, the one alarming difference at the 76 gas station versus the others break-ins is that in this one one of the suspects had a gun.

“It is very scary,” said owner Debbie Lemos. “You don’t see this sort of thing happening in this area.”

Surveillance video shows a car pulling up to the store around 4 a.m on Tuesday. It then drives off and comes back. Two men then jump out as the getaway driver stay put.

The men then walk off camera and that is when sheriffs say they whacked the front door with a baseball bat, however the glass was too strong and the men got scared and ran off.

The front door was smashed and was boarded up on Wednesday afternoon.
“I just feel like we aren’t safe anymore and we really need to step it up,” said Lemos.

Lemos told KION that she is thankful that the criminals couldn’t get in and, moreover, that no one was hurt, but she is telling her staff to still be aware.

“If they (her staff) see anything to call me… if they see anything suspicious, call me and to write down the plates,” said Lemos.

The break-in is the latest in what appears to be a trend in Monterey County.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Department believes the men are also responsible for a breaking into a gas station in Castroville on Monday, where they busted in, grabbed the cash and took off.

Also on Monday, sheriffs think the men broke into a 7-Eleven in the Torro Park Area and then later another one along San Juan Grade Road in Salinas.

“Their M-O is that they like to smash in the windows and they seem to be targeting cash registers,” said Commander John Thornburg of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department. “We believe all four are being pulled off by the same group of three men,” added Thornburg.

Back over in Carmel, Lemos wants the community and other businesses to be on guard.

“I think we need awareness in the area,” said Lemos. “We are a very close knit community, we are always looking out for each other and I think we need to even more now”

In the latest attempted break-in the suspects appear to be driving a silver Chevy compact car.