By Danny Valentine, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
TAMPA — Just after 1 a.m. Tuesday, Hillsborough County deputy Alexander Hockersmith saw a suspicious blue minivan parked at an odd angle in a gas station parking lot.
The business was closed.
The midnight shift deputy did a U-turn and pulled in to the 8606 Citrus Park Drive station. As he did, another nearby vehicle quickly pulled away, leaving the van.
It didn't take long to spot what was going on: Criminals had cut a hole through the Chevrolet Venture's floorboards and were pumping gas from underground tanks into a plastic container inside the vehicle.
It's a crime that authorities say has begun to tick up recently alongside increasing gas prices.
"This is a pretty typical way of doing it," said Sheriff's Office Captain Andy Ross.
Criminals reach down through a hole cut in the floor of their vehicle to uncap underground gasoline storage tanks, he said. A pump and bladder are already inside the van. Someone flips a switch, he said, and people leave the van and wait nearby.
They know how fast the pump works and how big their container is, and they come back when it is about full, Ross said.
But when Hockersmith pulled up, he foiled the plan, he said.
By the time deputies figured it out, the suspects had fled the area. No description was available.
A few minutes after Hockersmith arrived, the tank began to overflow and gas started spilling out of the van. About 25 gallons spilled onto the ground, triggering a response by a hazardous materials team.
The Sheriff's Office bomb squad also responded.
The gas station and several surrounding businesses were closed early Tuesday.
Danny Valentine can be reached at dvalentine@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3386.