One juvenile is in custody and police are looking for another after they allegedly stole a car from Riverland Community College and then tried to flee a gas station without paying for fuel.

According to Capt. David McKichan, Austin police responded at 4 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a 2003 Chevy Impala stolen from the college campus. The keys had been left in the vehicle.

Then at 8 p.m., employees from the Shell gas station at 709 21st St. NE reported two juveniles had fled on foot after staff confronted them on a suspected gas drive off.

The clerk briefly attempted to detain one of the juveniles to call police, but the two ended up fleeing the gas station on foot into a residential area.

Police arrived and found the vehicle to be the one taken from Riverland. After canvassing the area, police took one suspect into custody. As of this morning, the second was not in custody, but police believe they know his or her identity.

This incident marks the second car stolen from the Riverland’s campus after a 2002 Jeep Liberty was taken by juveniles in mid-October. In that same mid-October incident, a Pontiac Grand Prix was taken from the Austin National Guard Armory after the keys were left in it.

McKichan urged people to lock their vehicles and secure their valuables.

“Please lock and secure your vehicles,” he said. “Do not leave your keys in the vehicles.”

McKichan cautioned that leaving keys or valuables in unlocked vehicles makes it more likely for incidents to occur.

Locking and securing cars and property helps property owners avoid incidents and helps police avoid more investigations, McKichan said.