Heist Team Caught Red-Handed After Draining Farmers’ Fuel Pumps Near Prescott

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Department has made significant headway in a fuel theft investigation. A duo, who allegedly siphoned thousands of dollars’ worth of diesel last month, was apprehended this past weekend.

The suspects reportedly siphoned over 400 gallons from the Farmers Convenience Store, located at 49301 W. Papago Road. This incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. on March 6, according to store owner Jack Sulaiman.

Surveillance footage revealed a black Cadillac Escalade and a white Dodge Ram utility truck at the scene. Sulaiman speculated that the Escalade driver disabled the pumps while the Ram driver drained the fuel tanks.

According to Sulaiman, the thieves utilized 9-volt batteries to short-circuit the dispensers, allowing them to spend nearly ninety minutes extracting fuel into large tanks in their truck.

On Sunday, Sulaiman received a call from the sheriff’s office informing him that the two thieves had been arrested. “One of their deputies caught them,” he shared. “They confirmed their identity through the license plates.”

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office received a tip about two suspicious vehicles spotted in Humboldt. A sheriff volunteer matched the vehicle descriptions to reports of previous fuel thefts in the area, leading to quick consternation.

When deputies arrived, the suspects had already fled. However, the Dodge Ram was later intercepted on State Route 69.

During the traffic stop, law enforcement discovered a pump and a modified storage area designed to hold significant amounts of fuel. They soon located the Cadillac Escalade, uncovering several blue 55-gallon drums filled with gasoline in the back.

Both suspects, aged 36 and 42, face charges of felony theft and criminal damage. They are also identified as suspects in several fuel theft incidents dating back to 2019 across multiple states. Detectives believe they utilized a homemade device to facilitate these thefts.