Port St. Lucie - Tuesday May 9, 2023: Port St. Lucie Police (PSLPD) had arrested 29-year-old Jose Barrios Pizarro of Miami on allegations that he stole 658 Gallons of Diesel from a 7-Eleven gas station.
Employees at the Saint Lucie West 7-Eleven last week received an alert notifying them of a fuel theft in progress at one of their gas pumps. PSLPD responded and when officers arrived on scene, they observed the suspect still pumping fuel into a spare gas tank in the bed of his pickup truck.
The suspect immediately jumped behind the wheel to flee, but the officers were able to stop him and take him into custody.
Their investigation revealed that the suspect had a key, which officers found in a nearby trash can, that allowed him to access the inner electronic parts of the gas pump. The suspect had installed a controllable manipulation device making it possible to steal large amounts of gas for a small percentage of the cost. The total loss was $1,967 from the theft of 658 gallons of diesel over the course of three days.
PSLPD Economic Crimes Detectives arrested and charged Pizarro with grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, and accessing a computer without authority.