(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
SPOKANE, Wash. -Last month thieves hit a gas station in north Spokane and were caught on camera getting away with 12 brand new propane tanks worth more than $500.
The business, Divine's on Nevada and Wellesley, reported the theft to police and posted about it online.
"We do a lot with the community as far as working with SNAP and other agencies to fill propane for customers in need who use it to heat their home," said Divine's manager Sonya Bray. "Especially this time of year when it's 8 degrees outside. It's very frustrating."
Divine's then got a tip that someone was selling new filled propane tanks in the Spokane area on the website OfferUp.
"This person posted on OfferUp that he's got 75 propane tanks to sell. That is very suspicious," Bray said.
Then, on Wednesday afternoon, Bray says they learned that what looked like the exact same van in the surveillance video was spotted on East Sprague. Police responded, surrounding the van and speaking to the people inside, but ultimately there wasn't enough for them to arrest anyone at that point. But Bray is confident the thieves will be caught.
"Now they have a van. They know for a fact this is the van in question that pulled up to our store and stole our propane tanks so I think it's a step in the right direction."
And as for using for sale apps and websites like the ones she found posting those suspicious propane tanks, she says you just have to be smart.
"If it seems fishy, more than likely it is fishy. 75 filled propane tanks for $10? You gotta ask yourself, where are they getting them?"
Spokane Police echo the sentiment. They say they know stolen items are sold online and want to remind everyone that if it seems too good to be true it probably is. They also say to be very careful if you're going to be buying something from someone you don't know.