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Thieves Find Easy, Lucrative Work In Siphoning Fuel From Cars, Stations
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Prince William County police recently charged a Spotsylvania County man with grand larceny on suspicion of stealing more than $50,000 of gas over a period of months from a Chevron station near Potomac Mills mall. Police said that Phillip Harris, 23, had an electronic device that enabled him to turn on the pumps at the Woodbridge gas station after hours and that he sold the fuel to friends for half-price.
For months, Sarvan Rapaval, the manager of the station, thought that the tanks might have been leaking.
Drivers are becoming more aware that their gas tanks could be targeted. A salesman at a West Hyattsville Pep Boys said the store sells at least five locking gas caps a day, ranging from $11.99 to $19.99. Before the spring, sales were minimal.
Jesse Tageant, parts sales manager at an AutoZone in the Del Ray area of Alexandria, said the store had sold "quite a few" locking caps in recent weeks.
Chris Frates recently bought one for his Ford Ranger after turning on the ignition one morning and seeing that he had only half a tank of gas. Frates, who lives on Capitol Hill, said he knew his tank had been full when he parked the car a few days earlier because he had loaded up on $3.99-a-gallon gas while shopping in Virginia.
"I went that night and bought a locking gas cap," said Frates, who said he reported the crime to D.C. police. "It's like a retro throwback to the '70s," he said, when a gas crisis sparked concern about thefts.
Cars parked in dimly lighted lots are often targeted, said Lon Anderson, a spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. He recommended that drivers park in well-lighted, high-traffic areas.
A Northwest Washington couple have also been victimized.
When Harold Singletary went to fill up his Honda CRV one weekend late last month, he said he saw that "there was a dent and the gas cap was gone." His wife's Volkswagen Beetle was also targeted. Both cars had been parked outside their home.
Singletary took a closer look at the damage to his car. He said he found fingerprints near the gas tank and "a footprint as well."
