SANTA MONICA, CA — From gas siphoning in local neighborhoods to breaking fuel pumps, thieves are targeting drivers and gas stations all over the Golden State amid a historic gas price surge, according to multiple reports.
As gas prices continue to creep up in Santa Monica, the Automobile Club of Southern California is warning residents about a potential rise in fuel theft.
Californians who own older cars should be especially vigilant of thieves who siphon gas, the act of sucking gas from a vehicle’s tank through a tube. While newer cars have an anti-rollover valve that prevents thieves from siphoning gas, bandits are skipping that method and drilling right into the tank itself. This method causes extensive damage and can cost motorists more than $1,000 to repair, the auto club wrote in a statement.
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In the Southland, a group of organized thieves reportedly used trucks with large plastic tanks to capture fuel after breaking the pump at a gas station, a Chevron Clerk told KTLA.
Thieves in Houston, Texas nabbed thousands of dollars worth of diesel fuel from a gas station’s underground tank this week.
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“The van drives on top of the fuel tank and that’s all you see. No one comes out, so they have a trapped door inside their vehicle, which is crazy,” Jerry Thayl told ABC7 News.
On Tuesday, the average price for regular gas in California crept up to $5.75 per gallon, a modest increase compared with the 8 to 13 cent surge the state saw daily last week, AAA reported. One year ago, regular gas cost $3.84 per gallon.
In Los Angeles County, the average gas price for regular gas was $5.84 late Tuesday.
The Auto Club of Southern California offered the following tips to keep your car safe as theft incidents rise.
- Keep your car in the garage at home if you have one.
- Park in well-lit areas with high traffic or park in a secure location such as a fenced-in lot or parking garage.
- Upon entering a parking garage, secure a spot near the exit or elevator.
Look for these signs:
- The smell of gas around your vehicle.
- A puddle underneath your car near the fuel tank.
- The vehicle won’t start
- The vehicle will start but the fuel gauge shows fuel it is missing and/or the check engine light is illuminated.
If you believe your vehicle has been tampered with:
- Contact the police and file a report.
- Call your insurance company to learn if your policy covers the repair.
- Take your vehicle to a trusted repair facility as soon as you approx
The average price of gas across the state rose 40 cents over the past week — from $5.343 per gallon to $5.74 — and 64 cents over a month, AAA reported.
Nationwide, the average regular gas prices rose to $4.31 per gallon, up from $2.86 per gallon last year. Oil is currently at its highest price since July 2008, NBC Los Angeles reported.
The surge, aggravated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was expected to ease up as the price of crude oil gradually fell. The price of oil crested at $123 per barrel shortly after the war erupted, but it fell below $110 on Monday.
“It bears reminding that the cost of oil accounts for about 50 percent of what drivers pay at the pump,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “This war is roiling an already tight global oil market and making it hard to determine if we are near a peak for pump prices or if they keep grinding higher. It all depends on the direction of oil prices.”
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How To Protect Your Car From Gas Thieves In Santa Monica
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