Thief with a $20 bill on a string steals thousands of dollars from car washes, police say

A traveling thief has been using a $20 bill on a string to steal thousands of dollars from self-serve car washes in Indiana and other states.

The man was caught on surveillance cameras at car washes in Mooresville on Aug. 4 and again on Jan. 26.

"We've only really had two dealings with him, but he's a large pain," Mooresville Police Department Detective Donald Kays said.

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Kays said the thief appears to hit car washes near major highways.

Police are unsure how many thefts have occurred. They know he has struck in at least two other Indiana cities and in Ohio, Illinois and New York, Kays said.

On July 10 the man stole $700 from the Splash N Shine in Boardman Township, Ohio, a suburb of Youngstown. Surveillance images released by police show the man holding a bill that appears to be laminated in plastic.

The man "continuously used a $20 bill to trigger a purchase then hit refund," Boardman Detective Richard Romeo said in a wanted poster urging the public to help identify the thief.

The man canceled the transaction, collected the change and then fished the bill out with a stringlike piece of plastic.

"The suspect had placed plastic over the bill keeping the teeth of the machine from shredding it when pulled back out," Boardman Township (Ohio) police said.

The man conceals his license plate and wipes away his fingerprints, but he doesn't try to hide his face. Images show him driving two different vans.

Mooresville and Boardman Township police have released clear images of the thief and his vans.

"We hope that these pictures will help identify him," Kays said.

Mooresville police urge anyone with information to call detectives at 317-831-3434 ext. 6 or Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS (8477).

Call IndyStar reporter Vic Ryckaert at (317) 444-2701. Follow him on Twitter: @VicRyc.