2 men arrested over alleged gasoline theft in Humboldt: YCSO
HUMBOLDT, Ariz. - Officials with the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said they have arrested two people in connection with a gasoline theft incident over the weekend.
What we know:
According to a statement released on April 2, the incident happened on the night of March 29 in the town of Humboldt, which is near Prescott.
Investigators said on that night, a YCSO Volunteer In Protection (VIP) responded to reports of two suspicious vehicles on Main Street.
"The VIP recognized that the description matched vehicles involved in multiple recent fuel thefts in the area and updated the responding deputies. However, both vehicles left before the deputies' arrival," read a portion of the statement.
Investigators said deputies later located one of the vehicles, identified as a white Dodge flatbed pickup, driving at a high rate of speed on Highway 69. Deputies made a traffic stop after they spotted the pickup truck.
What Deputies Found:
"During the stop, the deputy discovered a pump with a hose in a storage box. The flatbed section was hollowed out, which would allow it to store a large amount of fuel," officials with YCSO wrote.
As for the other vehicle that was spotted by the VIP, investigators identified it as a black Cadillac Escalade. That vehicle was also stopped, and deputies found several blue 55-gallon drums that smelled like gasoline in the back of the vehicle.
Dig deeper:
Per officials, the two men, identified only as a 36-year-old and a 42-year-old, were arrested and accused of felony theft and criminal damage.
"They are suspected of stealing thousands of dollars' worth of gasoline from several different gas stations in Yavapai County. They are also suspected of being involved in fuel thefts since at least 2019 in several different states," read a portion of the statement.
The two, according to investigators, are believed to have used a homemade device to conduct the alleged theft.
What we don't know:
YCSO did not release the names of the two people who were arrested.