GOLDEN GATE ESTATES, Fla. — Two Cape Coral men were arrested in Collier County after deputies say they stole fuel from a gas station using a "remote-controlled device."
Deputies say 39-year-old Liomar Roman Fernandez and 32-year-old Jeriel Alvarez Lazo were at a 7-Eleven on Immokalee Road Monday night pumping a large amount of diesel into a container in the back of their van. This was going on for about 15 minutes before security officers got suspicious and called police, deputies say.
When deputies arrived, they found the men. Investigators discovered an electronic device attached to the fuel pump. They say it allowed them to remotely operate the pump without having to pay inside or even notifying the cashiers.
The gas was going into rigged equipment in the van, which was a large metal container with tubes and a PVC pipe, deputies say.
The men are accused of stealing 145 gallons, which is about $495.36.
Through the investigation, detectives believed a second vehicle was involved. That's because minutes before they caught the men, a truck had been there and stole 175 gallons of diesel.
Deputies say the people in the truck also most likely installed the electronic devices and left it for the men to use.
The men are facing multiple felonies, including unlawful possession and use of an electronic device to alter a retail fuel dispenser and fuel theft.
