Gas prices continue to climb, with prices in states like California even surpassing $6 a gallon this week.
One man in Florida seemingly had enough of the high prices after he was caught illegally siphoning more than 1,300 gallons of gas worth an estimated $9,000 from multiple local Wawa locations.
Yerrison Perez of Orange County, Florida, was charged with three counts of grand theft and one count of scheme to defraud by the Orlando Police Department after he was caught stealing gas from three different Wawas between June 17, 2022, and July 7, 2022.
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He was arrested on September 8 on an active warrant, though authorities had begun investigating the thefts last year, Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson maintained in a statement.
“This arrest is evidence that our continued collaboration with our law enforcement partners is successful in busting these criminals and should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks they can get away with fuel theft in our state,” Simpson said.
Authorities said that they were able to track Perez down by viewing “video evidence, business records, bank records, and other investigative techniques” before he was identified by the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement.
According to AAA, the average price of gas in the Orlando Metro area as of Wednesday was $3.651 versus one year ago when the average price per gallon was $3.360.
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Last week, U.S. oil prices went over $90 a barrel for the first time in 2023, triggering higher gas prices per gallon, with the national average increasing nearly six cents from the week prior.
The national average price per gallon of gas is currently $3.875.
