Christmas Gas Thief Sought By Contra Costa County Officials

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Contra Costa County's Employment and Human Services Department
asked for the public's help this week in identifying a man who has siphoned gasoline several times from a van used to take sibling children to and from family visitations in the county. At 8:47 a.m. on Christmas Day, security camera footage caught a man siphoning gas from the county-owned van in the area of a county building at 4549 Delta Fair Blvd. in Antioch, according to the department.

The footage shows the man then walks away with gas toward a large white truck with no license plates and drives away in it, according to the department.

County officials said Monday's incident is about the 10th of its kind this year at the site in Antioch, with staff attempting to prevent it by cutting back trees, parking the van in a different location and minimizing
the amount of gas in the van.

Staff members' personal vehicles in the area have also been vandalized or burglarized during after-hour shifts, according to the department.

The Employment and Human Services Department has circulated the security footage among local law enforcement and is also releasing it to the public in the hopes of identifying the suspect.

By Bay City News Service

Photos courtesy Contra Costa County EHSD