2 suspects with gasoline in a parking lot.

[wolfshead]

I was at a local Fred Myers in Renton this evening when I noticed two Hispanic males get out of their car with 2 red cans of fuel. Each of them spread out at opposite directions, walking nervously looking at each cars plate and inside. These guys looked like they were seasoned gangsters. They had tattoos that resembled some of the MS-13 pics I saw online.

The shoppers seemed to completely ignore them.I had just put groceries in my car and was about to leave when I thought this could turn ugly if they were going to set someones car on fire. So I called 911. The dispatcher took forever to take down my report and I got a call minutes later from another PD asking me about a totally different case. I knew the dispatcher messed up and for some reason I felt help was not on its way.

In the meantime, the two suspects notice my car and return to their car, not taking their eyes off me on the phone. So I hang up and just wait. Apparently another person who I assume was armed since he had a big Sig Sauer sticker on his truck noticed the same thing I did and decided to pull alongside me and then went ahead to the other side and waited with his door half open. He gave me a nod and for some reason I felt I could trust him.

Noticing two people with their sights on them, the two suspects got into their cars and floored it.

I gave the dispatcher the plate numbers and was glad there was no escalation to the incident.

I wasn't trying to play cop or cowboy. I just felt the need to step in for some crazy reason.

I wish the cops arrived sooner but they never did.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[ep1953]

Well done.

[Guantes]

Eyes on is one of the best ways to help LE.

[SIGguy229]

I don't think you stepped in...I think you observed and reported a suspicious act.

Now, had they lit someone's car on fire...the appropriate response would be.....observe and report.

[Hiram25]

Well done! It's a shame LEO's didn't arrive in time to check these people out. They were probably going to steal gasoline from someone's vehicle?

[goldshellback]

Did sound like you were 'playing' at all.

Good job.

Sometime the courage to do nothing more than make a call is enough

[ctsketch]

walking around a lot with gas tanks looking at cars? probably trying to Siphon's someone's tank?

[Stevew]

Could be anything. Were the cans empty or full? Might have just been trying to bring some gass to a friend that ran out. I think you did the right thing.

[hogdaddy]

Good Heads Up ; ) Might have saved a few veicals.
H/D

[cz75luver]

Good Heads Up ; ) Might have saved a few veicals.
H/D

"veicals"?


To the OP, you're a good citizen. Well done.

[OldVet]

Good job, correct actions. Probably looking to steal gas, but...?

[retsupt99]

Good witness action...watch and call 911, no CCW badge needed.

[Chaplain Scott]

Good SA in action

The facts here are that whatever they were doing was odd enough to set off your "spidey sense". The fact that someone else with good SA also noticed them only reinforces the possiblity that they were up to no good. The fact that when they saw they were "made" by not 1 but 2 Aware citizens, they left in a hurry--this further suggests that they were up to no good.

Pay attention to that quiet little voice that tells you that there is something wrong with this picture

[bladenbullet]

great job reporting what you saw...other than that theres nothing else to do but maybe go inside and buy marshmallows just in case...

[tkruf]

great job reporting what you saw...other than that theres nothing else to do but maybe go inside and buy marshmallows just in case...

+1 on the marshmallows

Good job observing and reporting. At first I thought they may have been going to torch one also, but as others have said, they were probably planning on doing some siphoning, especially since they went in different directions.