Thieves are drilling into car gas tanks to steal fuel as prices surge at the pump — with one Texas man accused of swiping $1,800 in diesel

KFDA News 10 reported that law enforcement was easily able to track down the accused, however, because the alleged culprit “left a trail of spilled diesel fuel leading from the county truck” to “the driveway of a residence.”

When police followed the trail to the residence they reportedly found “a utility task vehicle (UTV) parked in the front yard with its dump bed open and tailgate down” that “reeked” of diesel, as well as “fuel cans, siphon hoses, and a pair of black pants and shoes at the front of the home — all heavily smelling of diesel fuel.”

The home’s resident, Jesse Arthur Davila III, reportedly confessed to the theft and was arrested, while the outlet said his tank drilling caused $5,000 in damage to the county truck.

Meanwhile, gas thefts due to tank drilling are occurring across the country — leaving some victims paying into the thousands of dollars for car repairs and lost fuel.

As gas prices rise, thieves decide to drill baby, drill

Gas prices in the U.S. began skyrocketing as a result of the war in Iran, with the national average hitting $4.49 a gallon as of Sept. 25 — around $1.34 higher than at this time last year, according to AAA. Meanwhile, diesel prices hit a record high of $6.52 on Sept. 22.

It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that gas guzzling thieves around the country are on the lookout for their next haul. The Washington Post notes, though, that modern gas tank design features largely stifle the traditional method of siphoning gas — increasingly leading thieves to turn to drilling.

According to the publication, one Los Angeles repair shop “is fixing a drilled-out gas tank about once a week these days” — a stark contrast to the handful of times a year they used to see such incidents.

Minnesota, meanwhile, saw an uptick in drilled gas tank cases in St. Paul and Minneapolis in May.

In Lincoln, Nebraska, police have investigated 12 cases of fuel theft — including eight involving drilled holes — this year. Erika Thomas, Lincoln’s public information office manager, told Moneywise that her city’s numbers reflect only 0.01% of the 82,500 calls for service they’ve received this year, and that previous years experienced more fuel thefts and that “it is not a prevalent issue in our community.”

Those who suffer the thefts, however, often pay a high price — literally. Data provided by Thomas showed that the gas tank drilling thefts in her community cost between $300 and $1,800 in damage to vehicles, while thieves made off with, at most, $90 in gas.

In Vancouver, WA., one theft victim found his truck emptied of what he described as “maybe $20 worth of gasoline,” leaving him with a $2,000 repair bill for his drilled tank. And an employee at a Colorado auto repair shop told CBS News that repairs costs can get as high as $2,500 depending on the extent of the damage.

Does car insurance cover the damages?

The cost of fixing a drilled gas tank could come out of pocket if you don’t have the proper insurance.

“Comprehensive auto insurance typically covers theft and vandalism, including damage to a vehicle caused during an attempted or completed theft,” the Insurance Information Institute’s Loretta Worters told Moneywise.

However, she warned that “comprehensive coverage is optional and is separate from the liability insurance drivers are generally required to carry” — and that those with only liability insurance “would generally not have coverage for this type of damage.”