Lake Elsinore Man Nabbed For Stealing Gas

A Lake Elsinore man unhappy about the high cost of gas allegedly tried to take some fuel without paying for it -- and got caught, authorities said today.

David Allan Box, 42, was arrested after a Riverside County sheriff's anti-theft detail allegedly spotted him stealing diesel at a construction site near Railroad Canyon and Normandy roads in Menifee.

According to sheriff's Sgt. Tim Elwell, deputies observed Box siphoning the fuel from a fork lift into a 300-gallon bladder in the back of his 1991 Ford F-250 pickup truck about 5 a.m. Thursday.

Elwell said the probationer has been arrested before for doing the same thing.

Box was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on suspicion of theft and probation violations, and his truck was impounded, according to Elwell.

The suspect posted $5,000 bail and was released hours later.

"The (sheriff's department) would like to remind the public that metal theft, construction equipment thefts and fuel thefts are on the rise,'' Elwell said. "We ask that all suspicious activity in and around parks and construction sites be immediately reported.'' --City News Service