Police: Suspect Drilled Holes Into Puckup Truck, Stole Gas In Bensalem
BENSALEM, Pa. (CBS) - Police in Bucks County are trying to figure out who drilled holes in the gas tank of a truck parked in a mall parking lot.
Eyewitness News Reporter Jericka Duncan spoke exclusively to a woman who says she thinks someone was trying to get free fuel.
"This is where gas leaked all over on August 19th," said Jennifer Brown of Bensalem.
Brown showed Eyewitness News a large stain on the ground from gas that she claims came from her husband's pick-up truck. For the last two years, she says her husband would park his 2010 Chevy Silverado truck at the Neshaminy Mall parking lot, and car pool with co-workers.
Brown, who filed a report with Bensalem Police, says someone drilled two holes through the plastic tank in search of free gas.
"He looks underneath the truck and he starts crying," said Brown. "I asked him what's wrong and he said, 'somebody drilled my truck.'"
Brown says insurance covered the $900 cost to repair the damaged gas tank. Mechanic Brandon Abbott of Midnight Auto fixed the problem. He says he's never seen anything like this before. "It's clearly a drill mark, where someone actually drilled into the gas tank," said Abbott.
Abbott says the outcome could have been much different had the gas tank been made of metal. "With a metal gas tank, you create a spark with the drill and that ignite the fuel but with plastic, there's no spark," said Abbott.
Mall Security is aware of what happened. Bensalem police say the gas tank drilling is an isolated incident with Brown being the only person to report such a crime.
Reported by Jericka Duncan, CBS 3
