San Antonio police are warning residents to be alert when withdrawing large sums of money after more than 200 reported cases this year of “jugging.”
It’s a crime in which suspects follow someone from a bank or ATM who has just withdrawn money and steal their cash at the first opportunity, often in a violent smash and grab.
Police shared footage of a jugging incident caught on camera involving a man who withdrew a large amount of money from an ATM and left it on the passenger seat of his vehicle before stopping to pump gas.
Investigators say suspects in a stolen car tailed the victim from the ATM to the gas station, circled his vehicle twice and then broke in, taking the cash.
Detective Nathan Zachary said the pattern is simple: someone leaves a bank with money in hand, a soon-to-be thief sees this, follows them and quickly snatches the cash – either from the vehicle or directly from the victim.
He said jugging cases have been reported across the city, including one case in which someone was followed starting at the Ingram Road and Loop 410 area, all the way out to Boerne.
It’s a rising crime that San Antonio police have been focusing in on this year.
READ MORE: San Antonio jugging thefts targeting bank customers on the rise, say police
Zachary advises people to “check your tail” when leaving a bank or ATM.
“If they stop when you stop and when you go somewhere else you see that car, they’re probably waiting to steal money from you,” he said.
He also recommends concealing bank envelopes or withdrawing cash discreetly so suspects don’t see how much you’re carrying.
Police stressed that jugging isn’t tied to a specific neighborhood and urged anyone handling large sums of cash to remain aware of their surroundings and avoid leaving money visible inside a vehicle.
This article originally published at WATCH: San Antonio police share footage of jugging caught at gas station.