Stockton Man Killed After Fighting Off Gas Thieves

STOCKTON (CBS13) - The pain isn't getting any better for Alex Bell's wife and two young sons.

"Begging him not to leave me, for God not to take him and my children watching was horrific," said Kari Bell. "The pain, it hurts really bad."

The family never thought dropping off Alex at work would turn into a deadly confrontation right in front of their eyes.

The horror unfolded when Alex saw a pair of men in a white truck stealing diesel fuel from his parked semi truck.

"The passenger was fighting with him," said Kari. "It went to the side of their big rig."

That's when the driver stepped on it and drove off.

"They knew, they knew his wife and kids were watching," said Kari.

Alex was clinging onto the truck and the driver kept going.

"The passenger pushed or hit my husband off the truck," said Kari. "My son, my oldest son saw his dad lay in the street, bleeding from the head, hurt, crushed."

The driver of the semi ran over Alex. Rescuers rushed him to the hospital but were too late. Alex died shortly after the attack.

After releasing a video of the truck, captured by traffic cameras, detectives are running of out of leads.

"If someone can see the symbol on the side of the door, where they might be from or who may be the owner," said Stockton Police Sgt. Rick Ridenour.

Alex had many friends in the trucking community. He also coached his son's football team.

The boys, ages 11 and eight, are now left facing the world without their father.

"I hope they don't sleep at night," Kari of the killers. "They will get caught,"