2 suspects sought in retail, car theft in West Whiteland Twp

Police: Man carjacked at Starbucks drive-thru by men who allegedly robbed Boscov's

FOX 29's Lauren Johnson has the latest details.

WEST WHITELAND TOWNSHIP, Pa. - A man from New Jersey no longer has his car, after, he says, two guys pushed him out of it and stole it.

Police say the men who carjacked him were on their radar before the incident.

“Starbucks in the drive-thru, you don’t think somebody’s going to carjack you in line,” stated Chris Burton.

Somebody did. And, at 1 p.m. Sunday.

“Two guys came up to my passenger side. My windows were down. Opened my door, forced their way into my car with a couple of hammers, pushed me out of the car,” Burton explained. “They were threatening me with the hammers. They’re, like, three pound hammers, you know, like you break up tile with.”

Burton had no idea while he was waiting in the Starbucks drive-thru for a midday cup of Joe that police say the two men were dashing across the Exton Mall parking lot at Boscov’s, with mall employees on their heels.

“They were running them down. I guess they dropped one of the watches or something while they were running and they recovered that,” Burton added.

West Whiteland Township Police recovered a Range Rover, they say, the pair drove to the mall. Tracing evidence from that, local authorities believe they are the same men involved in a string of recent retail thefts around the area and in other states, in broad daylight. The pair appear to be more brazen. The attack on Burton is a first.

Suspects sought in West Whiteland Township retail and car theft.

“It was a scary situation. Just took me completely blindsided. I wasn’t even paying attention until they were in my car, you know?” Burton said.

They sped off in Burton’s 2010 charcoal gray Subaru Forester. Police pursued, but they got away. Burton is now struggling to manage two stores – one in New Jersey and one in Exton, with no car.

“You wouldn’t mind seeing them get caught,” asked FOX 29’s Joyce Evans.

“Oh no, I would love to identify them,” Burton replied.

Anyone with information regarding the two men or the incident is asked to contact West Whiteland Police at 610-692-5100 or 610-363-0200.