Thieves arrested after targeting gas station customer during slider crime

Deborah Fields had just finished pumping gas into her white minivan Thursday morning and was preparing to leave when she realized something was wrong.

"I wasn't aware that it could happen so fast. I start looking in my front seat and looking in my backseat. And then I looked around and realized my purse was gone. I had been robbed," Fields said.

It happened in just about 13 seconds at the station on Flat Shoals Road just off Interstate 85. The store manager shared the security video of the crime. In the video, a black Dodge Charger pulled up next to Fields' white minivan at 11 a.m. Someone got out, grabbed the purse from the front seat then took off. Union City police say the car was stolen.

Fields’ children rushed to the gas station to help since the thieves got away with her cash, cell phone and credit cards. She said she was not familiar with the concept of slider crimes until her encounter with the thief who pulled off this crime in just a matter of seconds. Her family now has a message for everyone.

"Keep your doors locked. Don't leave your purse or your pocketbook out. And be focused! Be aware of your surroundings at the pump. Don't think this will happen to you," said Field's son.

A Union City police officer said the black charger used during the crime was stolen and involved in a crash hours later in South Fulton. Police from a different jurisdiction took two to three people into custody. Ms. Fields received a call indicating her purse was recovered from the wrecked vehicle.