Someone robs a Shell station in Sacramento at gunpoint on June 25, 2005. The police investigate.
Three days later, on June 28th, someone robs a Arco station in Sacramento at gunpoint. Same description, same m.0. There's even a surveillance tape. The police investigate.
Thirty minutes later, someone robs a Shell station in Sacramento at gunpoint. Same description, same m.o. Numerous witnesses. The police investigate.
Two days later, on June 30th, someone robs a Valero station in Sacramento at gunpoint. Same description, same m.o. The police investigate.
Later that same day, someone robs a Chevron at gunpoint. Same description, same m.o. More witnesses and yet another surveillance tape. The police investigate.
On July 5th, someone robs a Valero at gunpoint. Same description, same m.o. This time the gunman shoots a couple of bullets at the cashier. More witnesses, yet another surveillance tape. The police investigate.
Thirty minutes later, someone robs a Chevron at gunpoint. Same description, same m.o. More witnesses. The police investigate.
Thirty minutes later, having used up some bullets in the earlier shooting, the gunman buys a pack of bullets from a nearby Big Five.
Two days later, someone robs a Shell at gunpoint. This time, the gunman kills the cashier.
NOW the police really investigate. And catch the guy (and his crew) a couple days later.
Which makes one think that the police perhaps might have tried a little bit harder to catch the guy before someone got killed.
I know, I know: Resource constraints, limited budget, blah blah blah. Still. A dude's taking off gas stations. He's got a gun. Someone's clearly going to get killed eventually. Seems like a high priority to me.
