Authorities in Upper Makefield Township are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying three individuals suspected of attempting to steal an ATV from a residence.
According to the Upper Makefield Township Police Department, a homeowner on Dolington Road was alerted to the activation of the detached garage alarm system via a phone app around 5:45 a.m. on Thursday, February 23. Upon checking outside, the homeowner saw three suspects attempting to steal the ATV from the garage.
The homeowner was able to scare them off and the suspects fled towards the rear of the property, police said.
The suspects were last seen entering a vehicle and speeding away on Dolington Acres Road towards Washington Crossing Road (Route 532), police said.
Authorities are asking residents in the area with outdoor surveillance cameras to review footage from around the time of the incident to see if the suspects’ vehicle can be identified.
The suspects, all of whom were wearing gloves and had their faces covered, have been captured in photos released by the police department.
Authorities do not believe the attempted theft was a random act, as the ATV was advertised for sale on a social media platform. Although the seller’s address was not included in the post, geolocation data embedded in the photo can reveal the GPS coordinates of where the photo was taken.
Police are urging social media users to disable the geolocation function on their devices to prevent potential criminal activity.
Anyone with information about the incident or the suspects is asked to contact the Upper Makefield Township Police Department.
