A gas station owner is seeking new ways to protect his business after a group of cars stole nearly 400 gallons of gas earlier this week.
Hardik Patel, the owner of Bizzy Bee Grocery and its gas station in High Point, North Carolina, said he would begin shutting off the power to the store’s gas pumps after business hours after surveillance footage showed someone bypassed the electronic payment system Monday night.
Video shows a car pulling up to the station and using a device to avoid paying for gas. After that, more than 15 cars followed suit to fill up their tanks without paying — siphoning off about $1,600 worth of gas, according to a report from CNN.
“I’ve been in business for 15 years and owned other gas stations. I have never seen something like this,” Patel said. “It wasn’t free. They were stealing.”
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The High Point Police Department said it responded to the incident after receiving a “suspicious vehicle call,” according to the case report. Patel told CNN that witnesses called the police after noticing several cars at the gas station after hours.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers said they encountered two males near a gold Hyundai Sonata before discovering how much gas was stolen.
Gas prices nationwide have soared amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent economic sanctions from the United States, reaching an average of $4.29 a gallon on Thursday, according to AAA. President Joe Biden acknowledged at the end of February that the sanctions may affect how much drivers pay at the pump, but he called on gas companies to lower their prices as crude oil prices begin to drop.
“Oil prices are decreasing, gas prices should too,” Biden tweeted Wednesday. “Last time oil was $96 a barrel, gas was $3.62 a gallon. Now it’s $4.31. Oil and gas companies shouldn’t pad their profits at the expense of hardworking Americans.”
As a result, police have warned drivers to protect their vehicles from gas theft, recommending locks on gas caps and other methods to prevent damage to car tanks. Patel said that if gas theft like Monday’s robbery continues, he may be forced to shut down.
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“If I lose more than I make, there might be some things to think about,” he said.
The High Point Police Department told the Washington Examiner that no arrests have been made and an investigation is still ongoing.
