Two Men Arrested for Allegedly Stealing About 470 Gallons of Diesel Fuel

(CNS) – Two men were behind bars Tuesday for allegedly stealing diesel fuel from the Mecca Travel Center.

Pablo Jose Huertas, 25, and Eliseo Laglera, 20, were arrested Monday evening on suspicion of grand theft and conspiracy, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Huertas, of Los Angeles, was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, and Laglera, of Huntington Park, was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center.

They were both held on $250,000 bail.

Deputies responded to a report of diesel fuel being stolen at around 4:30 p.m. Monday when they allegedly found Huertas and Laglera pumping diesel fuel into a storage tank, according to authorities.

The two suspects allegedly pumped around 470 gallons of fuel, worth over $2,700, without paying by manipulating the fuel pump mechanism, authorities said.

Authorities said the suspects are part of a larger theft ring and ask that anyone with information about the crimes contact Deputy Pasch or Deputy Zazueta with the Thermal Sheriff’s Station at 760-863-8990.

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