Dallas gas theft: 4 men accused of stealing 80 gallons of fuel using electronic device

DALLAS — Four men are facing charges after Dallas police said they stole 80 gallons of gas by installing an electronic device on a fuel pump.

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According to KXAS-TV, the incident occurred Wednesday at a Garland Road gas station. The men arrived at the station in three vehicles, one of which was “a modified pickup truck that had been outfitted with an external fuel tank,” Dallas police said in a Facebook post Thursday.

“The preliminary investigation determined Pedro Ruiz opened the front panel of a fuel pump and installed an electronic device designed to steal fuel,” the post read. “Alfredo Hechavarria then pumped 80 gallons of stolen fuel into one of their vehicles while Lazaro Echemendiamiranda and Betancourt Barco acted as ‘lookouts.’ Uniformed officers then stopped and arrested the suspects.”

Police discovered two other electronic devices in addition to the one on the fuel pump, according to the Facebook post.

Police arrested the four suspects on charges of petroleum product theft, unlawfully using a criminal instrument and engaging in organized criminal activity, the post said.

On Thursday, Dallas gas prices averaged $4.188 per gallon, while the national average was $4.418, according to AAA.

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