Trucks With hidden trapdoors stealing gas from Fla. stations

By Karyn Chenoweth Oct 19, 2007, 15:26 GMT

Several arrests involving custom-built trucks with hidden trapdoors used to siphon hundreds of gallons of gasoline may be linked to an organized crime ring targeting stations.

"My concern is with Homeland Security," Police County sheriff Grady Judd said. "When someone can pull up to a store during business hours and steal hundreds of gallons of gas and simply move on to the next station."

According to local news channel 6 in Orlando, investigators said Jose Guerra, 22, and Octavio Garcia, 27, were charged with siphoning off hundreds of gallons of gasoline from the Mobil station located on Curry Ford Road and Goldenrod in east Orange County.

Wednesday, police said Hobert Gibson, 70, siphoned and stole more than 900 gallons of gas from underground fuel tanks at stations in Polk County.

In both crimes, police said, the men used similar custom-built trucks to steal the gasoline.

Deputies said they witnessed Gibson steal gasoline from two stations Tuesday.

He would pull over near the underground storage tank at a gas station, pop the trailer's hood and pretend to fix a problem, as the trap door obscured the view of gas being pumped into the tanks, according to police.

"It was broad daylight, nobody knew that's what he was doing," sheriff's representative Carrie Rodgers said. "He was that good at it."

Sheriff officials believe Gibson stole gas on a daily basis since at least January. They said he may have taken 10,000 gallons of fuel a week to sell at his towing company.