Cabrillo College gas thief arrested

UPDATE: 7/27/2018 3:14 p.m. Surveillance cameras helped deputies catch a suspect accused of stealing gas from several cars in Santa Cruz County.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office investigated numerous gas thefts during the months of May and June.

“During several thefts, a black GMC Yukon style vehicle is captured on surveillance cameras during thefts at Cabrillo College,” said Sgt. Brian Cleveland.

On Friday, the sheriff’s office said they caught Watsonville resident, 31-year-old Michael Harrington drilling a gas tank on car in the Emeline Complex at 1000 Emeline Avenue.

Sgt. Cleveland said another gas tank was siphoned from a car parked at Cabrillo College around 7 a.m. and a black Yukon was seen being driven by Harrington.

Around 10 a.m. a sergeant spotted the same GMC Yukon at 41st Avenue and Soquel Drive.

“The GMC Yukon smelled of gas and contained gas siphoning equipment, a drill, and several gas tanks inside the car,” Sgt. Cleveland said.

Harrington was arrested for vehicle burglary.

On Tuesday night, firefighters responded to a fire at Aviation Way and Airport Boulevard in Watsonville. A Ford Explorer was on fire, and the flames spread to a Ford Fiesta and a Cadillac, causing $50,000 in damage. Investigators believe the fire ignited from a gas theft attempt.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and the Watsonville Police Department are working to gather additional evidence linking Harrington to other gas thefts.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 831-471-1121.

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7/26/2018 5:20 p.m.: Law enforcement authorities are investigating a growing crime trend in Santa Cruz County, including Watsonville. Gas thefts are on the rise, but it is how these thieves are getting the gas that is sparking the attention of investigators.

On Tuesday night, firefighters responded to a fire at Aviation Way and Airport Boulevard in Watsonville. A Ford Explorer was on fire, and the flames spread to a Ford Fiesta and a Cadillac, causing $50,000 in damage.

Upon closer inspection, authorities realized what happened – Someone tried stealing gas.

“They actually used an electric drill,” said Michelle Pulido, media specialist for the Watsonville Police Department. “They got underneath the car and they started to drill that, gas started coming out and somehow, some way it sparked a fire.”

Investigators have been going to different businesses in the area, looking for surveillance video that might have caught the suspect.

Drilling into gas tanks or cutting fuel lines are things police are seeing more of.

“A little bit all over Watsonville, but primarily a couple have been in city and county municipal lots and this one is obviously in a Hertz lot,” said Jason Panick, a crime analyst with Watsonville Police. “Perhaps it’s because they know nobody will be coming to get those vehicles in the evening.”

Watsonville isn’t the only city seeing these kind of gas thefts. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is also investigating a number of incidents, including some that have happened at Cabrillo College.

“We saw some gas thefts from mid-May all the way through July, which began as prying or removing gas caps and siphoning gas,” said Sgt. Brian Cleveland. “Some of those cases have since turned into somebody drilling through some of the gas tanks around the county.”

They say it seems as though the suspects are targeting county vehicles like SUV’s and vans, perhaps because they have larger gas tanks or because it’s a lot easier to access the tank. They say drilling is apparently faster than siphoning.

“We started seeing some of the locks were pried and that takes a lot of effort, whereas drilling was a lot quicker,” Cleveland said. “It’s not the safer method but I imagine that’s what’s occurring. It’s quicker to get and you don’t have to worry about the locking mechanism, so we believe that’s the way our suspects are now looking for an easier method to get the gas.”

In the meantime, deputies are doing extra patrols in those areas and letting the staff know what’s going on.

If the thief or thieves are caught, they could face a number of different charges, from vehicle burglary, vehicle tampering, vandalism, as well as theft.

ORIGINAL POST: A gas thief likely sparked a car fire, after reportedly drilling a hole in the gas tank to steal fuel, the Watsonville Police Department said.

The incident occurred off of Aviation Way and Airport Boulevard Tuesday night.

According to WPD, a person attempted to steal gas from a Hertz rental car. A fire sparked and fully engulfed a Ford Explorer and a rental car next to it causing $50,000 in damages.

Crime analyst, Jason Panick said they’ve had about six similar cases this year, four of which occurred in the last couple of months.

Similar incidents have been reported at Cabrillo College.

Police are still looking for a person(s) behind the crime.

KION’s Mariana Hicks will have more on the growing crime trend at 5 and 6 p.m.