I'd be willing to let them steal my fuel just to watch.


Gas Thieves
August 16, 2005 9:49 PM EDT

NAPPANEE, Ind. - The high cost of gasoline may have driven them to do it. Picking the wrong fuel pump cut short their getaway. Two men who tried to steal gasoline from a construction company instead filled the tank of their car with off-road-grade diesel fuel Sunday, police said.

An employee of Beer & Slabaugh spotted the men on the company property near Nappanee, about 20 miles southeast of South Bend, as they were siphoning fuel out of the car's tank, Elkhart County deputies said.

The two told the employee that a friend had put the wrong fuel into the tank and they were trying to empty it, deputies said. The employee noticed that the fuel was the distinctive red color of off-road diesel.

He called deputies, who arrested McKinley Chase, 21, and Dajuan L. Lord, 19, both of Gary, on preliminary charges of felony. They acknowledged the theft by explaining their mistake and saying their car would not run.

Lord remained in the Elkhart County Jail on Tuesday. Chase was released on bond, a jail spokeswoman said.

 

Along with being charged in the theft I hope they got charged with running un-taxed fuel

 

A few years back my dad was getting fuel in Eureka Ca. He pulls up grabs the nozzle with the green handle and proceeds to pump 32 Gals of Reg gas in his 96 CTD.. Well he realized the mistake as he returned the nozzle to the pump and pushed his rig off to the side. As he assesses the situation he figures the best way is to siphon the tank out. He goes to an auto parts store to buy 6 five gal cans but being Ca they cost an arm and a leg to meet clean air standards. So he sees a group of young Mexican guys and asks if they want 30 gal of free gas. of course they jump at the chance and he tells them to get cans and Arkansas credit cards and come back. They return with two wash tubs and a hose in a beater Chevy p/u and proceed to fill the tubs then slosh over to the Chevy and siphon into it. You can imagine it was a comedy of errors and after much spilled fuel and good chuckles for my dad they had filled the p/U and a beat up Galaxy and were ready to scoot. Well one of the guys walk up and tells my Dad he has a nice Truck and That an OLD GUY should have a nice ride in his last Days. . Pop is only 64 so that cracked up my Mom. Well a bad thing turned in to a good time for both of them.. Even if it was an expensive few hours. And Never again will he figure because the handle is green its Diesel!!

 

Good story... I have almost made the same mistake myself. Not paying attention and almost pumped reg. unleaded in the old truck. They shouldn't be allowed to use green nozzles on unleaded fuel. It seems like I was at a BP station where everything is green.

The gas station across the street from the fire station had a drive away while I was standing in it buying a drink yesterday. As you can imagine... the owners were pretty.... ummm... upset is a good word.

Britt