May 15, 2024 – Inyo County Sheriff's Office officials report that on May 11, 2024, Deputies responded to the Big Pine Shell Station in reference to a theft of diesel fuel. The store reported on Friday, May 10^th that 3,650 gallons of diesel fuel was missing from the tanks. The business reviewed its security footage and observed an individual in a flatbed freightliner truck filling fuel into a toolbox near the cab of the truck, not into the gas tanks. A secondary vehicle arrived and parked next to the freight liner and began to manipulate the fuel pump. The secondary vehicle was described as a white lifted GMC pickup truck. The vehicles left the area after the theft.

On May 12, 2024, at about 11:00 p.m., deputies responded to the Big Pine Shell station where it was reported the same vehicles involved in the theft from the night before, returned to the Big Pine Shell. Deputies discovered the Freightliner was pumping another 983 gallons of diesel fuel into the toolbox container and not the regular fuel tanks. As deputies were investigating this a lifted GMC pickup also arrived and parked at the Chevron station across the street. Deputies contacted the driver of the GMC pickup and the driver of the Freightliner. Both subjects matched the individuals in the security cameras.

Deputies arrested Omar Reyes Galvez, 32, from Moreno Valley, CA, and Jose Gutierrez Estrada, 30, from Moreno Valley CA on charges of Grand Theft. The total approximate amount of fuel is valued at over $25,000.

There have been similar thefts of gasoline in Inyo County in recent months and Investigators are working with other local county, state, and federal agencies with similar thefts. There is information that this is part of a criminal enterprise focusing on fuel thefts where fuel pumps are digitally manipulated.

Source: Inyo County Sheriff's Office