The Kane County Sheriff's Office says these two vehicles are suspected of being involved in the theft of a large amount of diesel fuel in southern Utah. Photo credit: Kane County Sheriff's Office
KANE COUNTY, Utah — A 39-year-old man has been arrested in connection to an alleged theft of a large amount of diesel fuel.
Authorities say the theft occurred at Ramsay’s Shell Service Station in Mt. Carmel on Dec. 3. According to a news release, video surveillance showed two vehicles parked on the opposite side of a fuel pump around 1 a.m.
The news release states one of the vehicles was a modified semi-truck with several holding tanks. The other vehicle was a Dodge pickup with tanks in the bed.
Law enforcement says the vehicles returned the same day around midnight. In all, authorities say 2,000 gallons of fuel were stolen from the service station.
Through the course of the police investigation, it was determined that an additional 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel had been stolen from a service station in Kanab on Nov. 4.
Police say the suspects were allegedly able to break into the pumps. And were able to manipulate the machinery to pump as long as it took to fill their tanks.
On Dec. 8, an individual who saw the story of the theft on KSL informed authorities that the semi-truck had been seen in Cedar City. The driver and truck were held at the Maverik in Cedar City until authorities from Kane County could arrive.
The driver has been identified as Alexander Rodriguez Padilla, of Las Vegas. He confirmed to police the truck belonged to him. According to the news release, Padilla then requested an attorney.
According to the news release, Padilla has been booked into jail on three second-degree felonies and three misdemeanor charges.
The news release states that police believe the vehicles and suspects in this case have allegedly been involved in other similar thefts across the state. Police say this is an organized crime and involves more individuals and vehicles.
The estimated value of the thefts just in Kane County is roughly $15,000.
The investigation into the incident is still ongoing by the Kane County Sheriff’s Office and the Utah State Bureau of Investigations.
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