Earlier this week, singer Akon's SUV was allegedly stolen in Atlanta, so he decided to call 911, and the conversation that ensued was unexpectedly comical.
“Yeah I was just carjacked at the gas station for my Range Rover,” the singer-songwriter said in his emergency phone call, according to TMZ.
“What’s the address you’re in so I can get the police out to you, and what gas station are you in?” the dispatcher asked, after Akon provided an address outside of city limits.
“I'm sorry ma’am, this is not the gas station, this is where my car is actually parked because I have a tracker on it,” he responded.
Confused, the dispatcher then asked, “what happened, then?” so she can provide the proper assistance needed.
After saying he'd called police an hour ago, the "Locked Up" singer detailed the series of events for the operator.
"I was literally getting gas, and they just jumped in the car, and pulled right out,” the 48-year-old explained.
“That’s not a carjacking, that's not a carjacking. Someone stole your car,” she interrupted.
According to law corporation Wallin & Klarich, carjacking requires the vehicle to be in the “immediate presence” of the owner. Grand theft auto occurs when you steal a car when the owner of the vehicle is not near the car, such as a car in a parking lot or parked on the street. Carjacking is also considered a more grave offense because it requires that suspects used force or fear to commit the criminal act.
The alleged car theft took place at an Atlanta QuikTrip shortly after midnight on Tuesday, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
"It only takes a second for someone to jump in your vehicle and take off," the Atlanta Police Department's Capt. Graham said.
The “Don’t Matter” singer left his phone in the vehicle and hours after the theft, police were able to successfully recover it in Forest Park, Georgia, a neighboring town, using the “Find My iPhone” tracker.
The incident also occurred one day after Atlanta Councilwoman Natalyn Archibong introduced legislation that would require all Atlanta service stations to implement mounted cameras on each of their fuel pumps.
"It is a common occurrence. It is not an anomaly,” she said. “It is a significant enough crime and a consistent enough crime that it warrants this intervention.”
Car crimes are something personal to Archibong since her daughter was the victim of an attempted carjacking, and she hopes that if passed, the bill would prevent both car thefts and carjackings from occurring at habitual rates.
“When the police went to investigate [her daughter’s incident], there was no footage available at that gas station,” Archibong said to CBS46. “All over the city, this same drama plays out where women or people who are just attempting to put gas in their car.”
