Man arrested for stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of fuel, Clearwater Police say

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Clearwater Police arrested a man they say is responsible for stealing fuel at sixteen different locations, worth tens of thousands of dollars.

26-year-old David Aguilar Martinez was arrested early Friday morning.  

Police say they spotted the red van used in several thefts back in April and followed it to a Sunoco Gas Station on Gulf to Bay Boulevard in Clearwater.  

When the suspect was pulled over, police say they found drums of fuel inside Martinez's van along with a pumping system.  

They say the floorboards of the van were cut to allow a hose to drop into the underground tanks and siphon fuel.  According to authorities, this is a common method used in organized diesel fuel thefts.

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