Gas Thieves on the Loose

Thieves suspected of stealing hundreds of gallons of premium fuel from stations in West Seattle and Sea-Tac have struck again. The latest incident in a rash of high volume gas thefts occurred last Thursday, when 208 gallons were stolen from a Gig Harbor Shell station. Police believe the same men were caught on tape last month, pilfering fuel from four Shell gas stations in King County.

The Gig Harbor theft took place in the early morning, after the station had closed. Video footage of the crime shows two men stealing fuel, including one wearing an orange safety vest similar to those worn by road-side construction workers. The thieves appear to have a master key, giving them full access to the pump's meter system and fuel. During the White Center theft, the suspects filled four 55-gallon drums, loaded them into the back of their pickup truck and drove off--all during regular business hours.

Fuel prices are at an all-time high in Seattle, with regular unleaded costing an average of $3.53 per gallon. That means the culprits made off with nearly $800 worth of gas in their Gig Harbor theft alone. We guess that's one way of dealing with the high cost of fuel...but serving jail time seems even more costly than paying at the pump.

Vintage Shell Gas Pump photo courtesy of Flickr user Cobalt 123