According to police, three men are suspected of stealing more than 18,000 gallons of gasoline from a petrol station in Garland and participating in a network that has stolen thousands of gallons of petrol from other Texas communities.
Who are Julio Benitez-Hernandez, Joxan Santos-Legon, and Rafael Vazquez-Unzaga?
Julio Benitez-Hernandez, Joxan Santos-Legon, and Rafael Vazquez-Unzaga were arrested on Thursday by the authorities in northeast Texas on charges out of Garland, as well as Bowie and Franklin counties, Garland police said. Both Hernandez and Unzaga are 30 years old, while Joxan Santos-Legon is 42 years old.
As per authorities, Santos-Legon and Vazquez-Unzaga have Florida addresses. It is unknown if any of the three have legal counsel.
According to a story on Saturday from FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, employees at the Rickey Rockets petrol station in Garland, Texas, called the police after feeling skeptical about a white box truck that continued to show up there.
Detectives from the Garland Police Department found the box truck thought to be a part of the theft ring on Thursday. Investigators followed it as it made its way northeast, first to Bowie County, 150 miles from Garland, and then to Franklin County.
When state troopers and Garland police detained the people in question, they were allegedly in possession of more than 1,500 liters of gasoline and their vehicle was in the middle of stealing fuel.
“Detectives were keeping an eye on this vehicle because it was named a suspect vehicle,” Garland PD officer Felicia Jones said. Garland police reported that the theft of more than 18,000 gallons took place at the Ricky Rockets Fuel Centre at 1910 S. Jupiter Road, close to West Miller Road.
The actual monetary value of the fuel that was stolen is still being calculated by the police. “This goes over four different counties from these individuals,” Jones said. “There is no telling how many different locations, and how many times, and how much was taken each time they made a trip.”
All three suspects are now being held in the Bowie County Jail but will soon be sent to the Garland jail where they will face charges in Dallas County.