Mérida, Yucatán – A man was arrested yesterday morning in Mérida for allegedly stealing gasoline from parked vehicles. Luis Alberto C., suspected of being a “Huachicolero” (fuel thief), was caught siphoning diesel from trucks parked near the Villa Magna subdivision and the Periférico Ring Road.
The theft was reported when the complainant, who oversees a truck with the license plate 992AS3, noticed a car parked next to it. Upon stopping to assist, the suspect claimed his engine had overheated and that he was waiting for a mechanic. Unbeknownst to the complainant, Luis Alberto C. had already siphoned fuel from the truck, which belongs to the moving company JAQ.
Later, when the complainant passed by the area again, he spotted a container full of diesel in a car with the license plate ZCB 925E. Realizing he had been a victim of theft, he called the Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) via 911. SSP agents arrived at the scene and discovered that other parked vehicles had also been targeted.
Officers arrested Luis Alberto C., who was caught with a hose, and impounded the car containing the stolen fuel. The complainant was informed that he had up to 36 hours to file a formal complaint regarding the incident.
