Arrest in attempted carjacking at Bucks County Wawa

TREVOSE, Pa. (WPVI) -- Police in Bucks County say the arrest of one man has solved two crimes over the past two weeks.

Investigators believe 22-year-old Amir Saunders tried unsuccessfully to steal a woman's car at a packed Wawa in Trevose Sunday night. And police say it apparently wasn't the first time Saunders targeted a customer pumping gas at that very same location.

Sunday night's attack at the Wawa on Lincoln Highway in Bensalem was captured on surveillance. In the video you can allegedly see Saunders trying to carjack a woman as she was filling her SUV with gasoline.

Bensalem Police Director Fred Harran says he believes the attacker was trying to get the victim to stay in the car with him.

Harran explains, "The reason why we know he was trying to take off with her, because it seems the same individual committed the same type of crime back on December 30th at the same location."

It happened around 6 p.m. Sunday at a Wawa convenience store located in the 2200 block of Lincoln Highway.

Surveillance video captured a short time after the first carjacking shows the victim removing money from an ATM in Philadelphia before reportedly going back to his vehicle and giving the cash to the knife wielding suspect.

The carjacker got away after forcing the victim to drive him back to Bensalem, and dropping him off near a wooded area.

Sunday night's attempted carjacking did not unfold as smoothly.

"She was screaming and started to hit her horn. Other people saw the commotion, came over to her defense, and basically he fled the area," Harran said.

Less than 24 hours later, Bensalem police made the arrest.

Bail has not yet been set, but Saunders faces a string of charges including carjacking, attempted carjacking, and theft.

"He will be now a resident of the Bucks County Prison until the criminal justice system decides what to do with him once he's found guilty, which I'm sure he will be." Harran said.

Police now want to hear from the people who helped chase away the attacker Sunday night. Investigators need those people to give them details that can be used in court. So if you were at the Wawa and saw what happened, call Bensalem police.