“If there were more gas in it than a gallon, this thing would have absolutely turned into a bomb,” Mills told KSL.
“It’s sad because times are tough for a lot of people, but it’s not worth the $5 that he would have saved for the injury that the guy sustained.”
According to Mills, that same truck recently had its catalytic converter taken. Gas thieves targeted it, causing them to upgrade to a $30,000 surveillance system that captured the criminal in the act.
Tony Allred, a division chief for the Salt Lake City Fire Department, said the crime was part of an alarming trend exacerbated by record-high gas prices.
“Unfortunately, given the gas prices in the valley and nationwide, we are seeing an increase in gas theft,” Allred explained.
Still, “drilling into a tank is extraordinarily dangerous,” he said. “It’s just extraordinarily dangerous for the person stealing the gas for a very low return.”
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