A brazen thief sucked more than $2,500 worth of gasoline straight from underground storage tanks at a Fresno filling station, and police are now hunting for the suspect after surveillance cameras captured the entire operation.
The theft unfolded on Aug. 10 at a gas station located at North Chestnut and East McKinley avenues in Fresno, California. Authorities say the man made off with $2,545 worth of fuel during the incident. The suspect was described as a white adult male who wears glasses. He was driving a black 1986 Chevrolet single cab, long-bed pickup truck with fading paint on the roof, according to authorities.
The timing of the theft has drawn attention as California drivers continue to face the highest pump prices in the nation. Statewide gas prices jumped from $5.58 a gallon on Aug. 19 to $5.66 by Aug. 22, recent figures show. Los Angeles drivers were hit even harder, with the average price reaching $5.73 per gallon after 14 consecutive days of increases. The national average stood at $4.08 a gallon, more than 80 cents higher than a year earlier.
AAA has pointed to ongoing turmoil in the Strait of Hormuz as a key factor keeping prices elevated. “Due to continued volatility in the Strait of Hormuz, crude oil prices remain in the $80 per barrel range,” AAA said in an update last week.
President Donald Trump is expected to meet with oil refining executives to discuss ways to bring down gas prices and boost domestic refining capacity.
The Fresno Police Department is urging anyone with information regarding the suspect’s identity to come forward and contact investigators directly.
