Police in Griffin have identified a 25-year-old accused of drilling holes in the tank of a parked U-Haul truck to steal gas during the ongoing fuel shortage.
The man, identified as Jesse Smith, only managed to collect about 5 gallons of gas and spilled the rest, according to Griffin police spokeswoman Laurie Littlejohn. Firefighters worked in the rain through Wednesday afternoon to clean up the spill.
“While we understand that there is a shortage on gas, we also want to remind everyone to exercise safety, patience and common sense,” Griffin police posted on Facebook. “The shortage is temporary and we anticipate the gas stations returning to full operations soon. In the meantime, remain calm and don’t do anything to endanger yourself and others.”
The theft happened around 9 a.m. at USA Rent-A-Space in the 1400 block of Bowling Lane, according to Littlejohn. About 35 to 45 gallons were spilled, she said.
Police initially identified a red Ford F-series truck, which was found parked nearby, as the “getaway” vehicle and released grainy photos of the suspect walking near a U-Haul with a gas can around the time of the puncture. Authorities were able to identify Smith as the suspect after receiving tips from residents, police said Thursday.
The Griffin man is charged with criminal damage to property and theft by taking, but could face additional charges.
Stations around metro Atlanta have had gas concerns since last weekend when Colonial Pipeline, an Alpharetta-based company, was hit by a cyberattack that threatened fuel supplies on the East Coast. Colonial said it operates the largest refined products pipeline in the United States, “transporting more than 100 million gallons of fuel daily.”
The company began to restart pipeline operations Wednesday at about 5 p.m., but warned it will take several days for deliveries to return to normal.
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