A white Mercedes-Benz with a flipping license plate and a sophisticated gas-siphoning system seems like something out of a James Bond movie. However, these 007-inspired features are exactly what Irvine Police officers found after the arrest of two burglary suspects on May 17.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, May 18, the Irvine Police Department shared photos and videos of the car’s anti-tracking equipment, which was installed to respond at the simple push of a button. The gallery post also contained photos of different types of currency, as well as a photo of what is said to be a gas siphoning device that would put gas into the car’s gas tank, simply by inserting it into another car’s gas tank.
“Officers discovered a device that would flip the vehicle’s license plate with the push of a button and an elaborate gas siphoning device that transferred fuel directly into the vehicle’s gas tank,” the post read. “The vehicle contained burglary tools, evidence of ID theft, and stolen property. During the investigation, Detectives were able to recover a car previously stolen from Irvine.”
While the Irvine police did not arrest 007 himself, the department did arrest a male and female suspect, both from Garden Grove.
The Irvine Police credited the swift reporting of suspicious activity by community members involving the vehicle, which led to the arrest of the two suspects.
The suspects were arrested and charged with vehicle burglary, vehicle theft, identity theft, possession of stolen property, and possession of burglary tools.
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