Thieves drilling directly into vehicle gas tank to steal fuel
Drivers in Fontana and other areas are on the lookout since thieves have begun drilling holes in gas tanks in order steal fuel.
They pop open the gas caps and syphon fuel out or crawl underneath the car and drill directly into the gas tank, causing unsuspecting families, who are already feeling the financial pain of high gas prices, to fork out even more money to repair the damage to their vehicle.
"I smelled gas and I was like, 'Where is that coming from?' I didn't think anything of it until looked under my car and I was like, 'They're getting our gas,' and there was a water bottle with gas in it underneath," said Jolayne Gordillo, a victim of gas theft.
Gordillo said someone recently tapped into the gas tank underneath her Dodge Ram pickup, which was parked in front of her home in North Hills. The bill for repairs, she said, will be a burden for her family.
"Just the tank itself from the Dodge dealer is $1,500," Gordillo explained. "Labor is another $500 most likely. So, around $2,000."
Police recently chased after a different crew that was out stealing gas in Fontana. The pursuit ended in Bloomington with two men taken into custody. Both suspects had multiple outstanding warrants. Investigators said they were driving a black truck with a tarp in the bed that concealed their operation.
"It's not just a Fontana problem. It's a statewide problem," said Fontana Police Officer Steve Reed.
Reed also said that Fontana has been seeing a large uptick in gas thefts.
"It's been a substantial increase since gas prices went up, since the beginning of the year."
With no end to the high gas prices in sight, Officer Reed said people can try a few measures to make themselves less vulnerable to gas thieves.
"Don't park in the dark. Anything in the dark, people hid in the shadows. That's where you're going to be the most vulnerable. Locking gas caps, if you can change those," he said.
For her part, Gordillo expressed her frustration with the situation.
"We're hard working people, and just to come out and find your car damaged, that's not okay," she said.
Suspects caught stealing gas could be facing charges like grand theft and felony vandalism.
