EVs are on the rise in the US and worldwide, but most drivers still use gas-powered vehicles. Though these traditional cars have advantages, one drawback is the need to use gas station pumps and deal with their ever-changing pricing. Still, most are smart enough to know that searching for cheap gas prices is better than committing theft, which is what a group of people in California did recently. 

Stealing from the pumps at gas stations harms not only the owners but also the employees

According to KCRA, thieves in Lodi, California, targeted the gas station pumps at a Kludt Oil location. Over the course of seven days, they stole roughly 6,500 gallons of diesel, which means the station owner, Michael Kludt, is out more than $30k. He said to the outlet, “They’d pump 32 gallons, but it would only show three-tenths of a gallon.” Regarding how they went about committing the crime, Michael explained, “They opened our dispenser, installed a bypass device, and drove off repeatedly.”

Surveillance footage of the thieves at the gas station pumps exists, but it doesn’t reveal any identifying information. Unfortunately, they thought ahead and obstructed their license plates before getting to the gas station. The people also used work trucks and wore clothing that made it more challenging to determine who they were by sight. Like any ‘good’ gas thief, the group picked the gas pumps farthest from the security cameras. 

So, how did Michael Kludt realize that people were stealing gas from the pumps at his station? He or someone else at the store noticed discrepancies with the inventory. This led to him reviewing hours of surveillance footage and realizing what was going on. He said, “It hurts because there’s a lot of employees that depend on us. And, you know, it’s something we probably can turn in through insurance, but then that’s going to raise our rates. And it’s already hard enough to get a competitive rate. It’s not a good feeling.” Naturally, the police are on the case. 

More than likely, the people who committed this crime were doing so as part of a more extensive operation. Still, once caught, they’ll probably wish they and their associates had looked for and taken advantage of cheap gas prices instead of resorting to theft.