Eureka Police are trying to identify a man suspected of stealing gas from a pickup at the O’Reilly Auto Parts store, 1321 W. Fifth St. The man allegedly drilled a hole in the gas tank and stole half a tank of gas, police reported.
Officers were called at about 11 a.m. March 19 to the store by an employee, who said a 1-inch hole was drilled into the tank of the store’s 2019 Nissan Frontier. The estimated cost to repair the pickup is $1,300, and an estimated $42 worth of gas was stolen, the report said.
Surveillance video allegedly showed a man drive a black Chrysler 300 onto the parking lot at about 6:20 a.m. March 19 and park next to the pickup. The man was seen removing items from the Chrysler’s trunk and lying on the ground next to the pickup, according to the report.
About 10 minutes later, the employee who reported the theft is seen pulling into the parking lot. The man was no longer on the ground, but he did retrieve his items, place them in the trunk and drive away in the Chrysler, the report said.
The employee said it is not unusual for people to be in the parking lot in the morning. He told police that people often park in the lot and sleep there overnight, according to the report.
As of Monday, the man seen in the surveillance video had not been identified, Lt. Brett Grittini said. He asks anyone with information about the theft to call the Eureka Police at 636-938-6600.