Brandon, Valrico Men Accused Of Stealing Gas From Lakeland 7-Eleven

LAKELAND, FL — With the price of gas ranging from $2.97 to $2.99 a gallon in Lakeland, according to GasBuddy, gas thefts are on the rise.

However, Lakeland police are warning potential thieves that law enforcement is keeping a close eye on gas pumps around the city.

On Oct. 11, at 3:55 p.m., officers and detectives were dispatched to a theft in progress of diesel fuel at the 7-Eleven, 3611 Drane Field Road. The corporate investigator for the 7-Eleven Corp. said he'd been watching for the thieves after this store was the victim of two previous thefts involving the same two men, who would arrive in two vehicles.

Lakeland police officers detained Jose Vazquez Montero, who was driving a white Ford F-250, and Rodney Linfernal Alvarez, who was driving a red semi-truck pulling a white trailer, both equipped with large gas tanks.

Montero is from the Brandon area and Alvarez from Valrico.

During the first incident on Oct. 6, 242 gallons of diesel fuel valued at $1,086.58 were stolen. The second happened on Oct. 9, when 410 gallons valued at $1,840.97 were stolen.

On Oct. 11, the two men accused of stealing gas had taken 330 gallons valued at $1,471.80 when they were detained by Lakeland detectives.

Detectives said they found the two men in possession of devices that could be placed on the pumps to reduce the rate they were charged for gas.

Detectives also found a small amount of cocaine on Montero.

Both men were charged with retail fuel theft, possession of a device constructed for the purpose of fraudulently altering a fuel dispenser and physically tampering with the electronic component within the internals of a retail fuel dispenser.