RICHMOND, Texas -- It happens every time gasoline prices spike: seemingly inexplicable instances of gasoline theft hit the news. This past week, two such tales were reported, one of 1,400 gallons of diesel in Texas and the other of a whopping 20,000 gallons of gasoline in the Northwest.
In Richmond, Texas, a 30-year-old man was arrested late Thursday on a charge of stealing diesel fuel from the underground storage tanks of two service stations earlier this month.
Richard A. Owens of Richmond allegedly stole more than 1,400 gallons of diesel fuel from two gasoline stations. The suspect, [image-nocss] seen on surveillance video, targeted two separate Valero store locations in Richmond, according to a report from FOX 26 News.
Officers were called to one location where the manager reported a suspect driving an extended-cab pickup truck that pulled into the parking lot and parked over the fuel-fill storage covers. Two days later, the store manager discovered 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel, valued at $3,519, was missing.
The same suspect was observed on surveillance video at another Valero site the same day. When fuel was delivered to that location, managers discovered that 400 gallons of diesel fuel, valued at $1,436.00, was missing from the station.
Meanwhile, a wanted felon arrested in Pierce County, Wash., on Wednesday may be responsible for stealing nearly 20,000 gallons of gasoline at fueling stations in Washington and Oregon, according to a report in the Seattle Times.
The man, identified as David Torres, 36, is believed to have tampered with at least 15 gas pumps along the Interstate 5 corridor, allowing him to fill several 55-gallon drums for free, King County sheriff's Sgt. John Urquhart told the newspaper. Torres then resold the fuel for about half of what gas stations were charging.
"Part of the problem with this crime is the victims don't know they have lost the gasoline until they start reconciling their inventory," Urquhart said. "This is no Robin Hood; it's a for-profit venture."
While detectives have identified gas stations across western Washington that were allegedly targeted by Torres, they are still unsure how many stations were hit. Detectives are also searching for the people they say purchased fuel from Torres; they could be arrested for a felony.
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