Atlanta police arrest man accused of drilling holes in cars to steal gas

Atlanta police believe an odd series of crimes has come to an end after they arrested a man accused of drilling holes in several cars to steal gasoline.

Matthew Reznick of Issaquah, Wash., was taken into custody Tuesday after officers on patrol in the Kirkwood neighborhood spotted his car, police said. The officers recognized the silver Mercury Mountaineer SUV, which had been captured on homeowners’ security cameras in the area at the same time as multiple gas thefts.

The SUV was linked to multiple car break-ins and an unusual series of gasoline thefts that involved the suspect drilling a hole into gas tanks, police said. In these cases, the cars would suffer hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of damage. Even at $3.50 a gallon, the cost of the stolen gas was typically a fraction of the total repair bill, police said.

Video of the arrest shows an officer taking Reznick into custody without incident near the intersection of Hosea Williams Drive and Rogers Street. He was first taken to the Grady Memorial Hospital Detention Center after he complained of shortness of breath, but was later transferred to the Dekalb County Jail.

Reznick was booked on felony counts of entering auto and criminal trespass, as well as a misdemeanor count of driving with a suspended license. He remains in jail without bond.

The incident is reminiscent of an unexplained tire-slashing spree on Myrtle Street in Midtown. Residents in the area, many of whom park on the street, awoke the morning of Dec. 17 to find a long line of parked cars with deflated tires. Doorbell camera footage showed a man walking along the street and methodically stabbing tires, a resident told Channel 2 Action News.