4 Texas Men Arrested For Allegedly Stealing 80 Gallons Of Gas

By Dani Medina

May 12, 2022

Photo: Getty Images

Four men have been arrested for allegedly stealing 80 gallons of diesel fuel from a gas station in Texas.

The suspects have been identified by the Dallas Police Department as Pedro Ruiz, Alfredo Hechavarria, Lazaro Echemendia Miranda and Betancourt Barco. The incident occurred on Wednesday (May 11) at a 7-Eleven gas station located in the 10400 block of Garland Road in Northeast Dallas.

To steal the gas, the suspects used three separate vehicles, including a "modified pickup truck that had been outfitted with an external fuel tank," police said. They used an electronic device that was "designed to steal fuel." (You can see a photo of the electronic device the suspects used below)

Here's how they did it:

"The preliminary investigation determined Pedro Ruiz opened the front panel of a fuel pump and installed an electronic device designed to steal fuel. Alfredo Hechavarria then pumped 80 gallons of stolen fuel into one of their vehicles while Lazaro (Echemendia Miranda) and Betancourt Barco acted as 'lookouts.'

Police found three electronic devices at the scene — one was inside the fuel pump, two were inside one of the suspects' vehicles.

Ruiz, Hechavarria, Echemendia Miranda and Barco were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, theft of a petroleum product and unlawful use of a criminal instrument.

On May 11, 2022, the Northwest Deployment Team was investigating multiple known fuel theft suspects. The suspects drove...

Posted by Dallas Police Department on Thursday, May 12, 2022
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