Crafty Thieves Steal 560 Gallons Of Diesel From Amador County Gas Station

AMADOR COUNTY (CBS13) — Police are investigating after thieves got away with more than 500 gallons of diesel at a gas station in Sutter Creek.

It's a mystery how they did it, but police said they must have had some very large tanks.

Sutter Creek Police believe the thieves must have used a specialized technique to pilfer the petroleum. The manager of the Chevron where the diesel was stolen said the thieves were able to pump gas like you normally would but somehow manipulated the machine so they didn't pay.

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"I think they probably do it other places...if they're that good to get that much gas," said Destry Carroll, who works in Sutter Creek.

Police said the thieves hit after the station closed around 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday. The Chevron has surveillance cameras but they are not pointed at the diesel pump where the theft happened.

"It's pretty rotten for people to do that to small businesses. I know the owner here, and we have a small business, and money is tight," Carroll said.

Diesel is $4.13 a gallon at the Chevron, meaning the thieves got away with more than $2,000 worth of fuel.

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We reached out to the Texas-based owner of FlintLoc who specializes in helping gas stations prevent fuel theft. A spokesperson said stealing from older diesel machines similar to this one can be pretty easy. In some cases, all you need is a screwdriver.

Sutter Creek police are asking anyone with information about what happened here to give them a call.

We asked the Amador County Sheriffs Office if there's a pattern here and if they've seen this happening in other parts of the county. They said this is an isolated and very rare incident.