Protect Your Car From Gas Thieves In San Juan Capistrano

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — From gas siphoning in local neighborhoods to breaking fuel pumps, thieves are targeting drivers and gas stations all over the Golden State amid a historic gas price surge, according to multiple reports.

As gas prices continue to creep up in San Juan Capistrano, the Automobile Club of Southern California is warning residents about a potential rise in fuel theft.

Californians who own older cars should be especially vigilant of thieves who siphon gas, the act of sucking gas from a vehicle's tank through a tube. While newer cars have an anti-rollover valve that prevents thieves from siphoning gas, bandits are skipping that method and drilling right into the tank itself. This method causes extensive damage and can cost motorists more than $1,000 to repair, the auto club wrote in a statement.

In the Southland, a group of organized thieves reportedly used trucks with large plastic tanks to capture fuel after breaking the pump at a gas station, a Chevron Clerk told KTLA.

Thieves in Houston, Texas nabbed thousands of dollars worth of diesel fuel from a gas station's underground tank this week.

"The van drives on top of the fuel tank and that's all you see. No one comes out, so they have a trapped door inside their vehicle, which is crazy," Jerry Thayl told ABC7 News.

On Tuesday, the average price for regular gas in California crept up to $5.75 per gallon, a modest increase compared with the 8 to 13 cent surge the state saw daily last week, AAA reported. One year ago, regular gas cost $3.84 per gallon.

In San Juan Capistrano, the closest cheap gas is on Doheny Park Road at $5.59 per galloon, according to GasBuddy.com.