Two Men Arrested for Stealing Gas After Officers Recognized Their Car: Police

The car has been wanted since July 17, when officers first responded to the gas station for fuel theft.

Two men were arrested Tuesday for stealing gas from a Hess gas station after a police officer recognized their car from a previous gas heist, Miami Gardens Police said.

Andy Lorenzo Machado, 28, and Rigoberto Hastie Veliz, 36, were arrested and charged with grand theft and improperly conveying fuel.

When Miami Gardens Police Officers went to the gast station, located at 20901 NW 2nd Ave., to fuel their cars Tuesday morning, an officer saw a Mitsubishi Gallant parked over a diesel reservoir cover.

The car has been wanted since July 17, when officers first responded to the gas station for fuel theft. The gas station's management had told officers that on two occasions a Mitsubishi Gallant was seen, via surveillance equipment, parked over the cover a diesel reservoir for a long period time, police said. They also told officers that they were missing about $2,500 worth of fuel at the time.

On Tuesday, officers searched the car's trunk and found a large fuel cell, a long hose beneath the seat and a hidden trap door on the floor board.

Machado and Veliz were arrested and taken to jail. Both men are currently being held in jail on $10,000 bonds. It was not immediately known if they had attorneys.

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