With high gas prices, more and more people are turning to fuel-related thefts to try to beat the system. Two women were charged for engaging in organized criminal activity when they stole over $2,000 worth of diesel fuel.
Theives have been using a device that tricks the pump into thinking it’s giving out less gas than it actually is. The pair couldn’t believe that they got out scot-free with $2,100 worth of diesel from a 7-Eleven that they went back for more.
The Grapevine Police Department were able to catch the two women when they pulled up to the station after getting a tip about a theft in progress. As soon as the officer pulled up, the black Honda sedan in question took off. A motorcycle officer pursued the car while another officer inspected the white truck that had been sitting at pump 16.
Annabel Collado Cruz and Lisandro Campana-Fruto were later questioned in the black sedan, where they confessed to police they were using a device to tamper with the pump.
“The device will trick the company into looking like you’re only spending a few dollars in fuel when really, you’re getting thousands of dollars worth of fuel potentially,” said Amanda McNew, with the Grapevine Police Department.
The Grapevine Police Department posted on Twitter about the incident, saying there was a 250-gallon auxiliary tank that was out of sight in the bed of the truck. This was also their second trip to the pump that day. The 28-year-old Cruz and 47-year-old Campana-Fruto were accused of taking 460 gallons of fuel in total.
Source: https://twitter.com/GrapevinePolice/status/1560368546751946752