Editor's note: Regular readers of the News-Ledger's print edition may remember an article several weeks ago reporting that thieves were brazenly stealing hundreds of gallons of fuel at a time from parked trucks and even from closed gas stations. Sharp-eyed readers may also have noticed one particular item in our "Police Log" page of May 11, 2011, in which police responded to a witness's report that some people in a van were running a hose to a fuel tank at a business on Cebrian Street. A press release from the police department today tells us how that story ended.
Press release from the West Sacramento Police Department, May 13, 2011:
West
Sacramento Fuel Theft Investigation Results in Arrests
"On
5/7/2011, West Sacramento PD
Officers responded to a possible fuel theft in the 1200 block of Cebrian Street, West
Sacramento CA. A witness
observed a van with a hose coming from the bottom at the fuel pumps. Responding
officers located the vehicle leaving the location and conducted a vehicle stop.
The van, a white Ford Econoline van was found to have two fuel containers
totaling approximately 497 gallons of diesel and pump inside the van. Two suspects, J-Uan Parker 18 years old of Sacramento and Raynard Dotes Jr. 19 years old of Sacramento were arrested
and booked at the Yolo County Jail on charges of burglary and grand theft. Both
have since been release on bail.
Suspects' Ford Econoline van, with fuel storage tank inside almost full of liquid
(Courtesy of West Sacramento Police Department)
"On
5/12/2011, as a result of the
ongoing investigation, West Sacramento Police Detectives served a search
warrant at a location in the 600 Block of Galveston
Street in West Sacramento CA.
The search warrant service resulted in the seizure of approximately 1800
gallons of diesel suspected of being stolen by the suspects. The
approximate total amount of fuel recovered
is 2297 gallons with an approximate value of $9,900. This investigation
and arrests are the result
of the team effort by the businesses in the area, the West Sacramento
Police
Department, the West Sacramento Fire Department and members of the fuel
transportation industry. The
investigation is ongoing. If anyone has information related to fuel
thefts in West Sacramento or this investigation, please contact the
West Sacramento Police Department Investigations Division at (916)
617-4900 or
email the Crime Tip email address at crimetip@cityofwestsacramento.org."
