WINDSOR — Maine State Police are seeking the public’s help identifying two men who appear in security photos to be siphoning fuel after hours from Moody’s Electric.
Trooper Kyle Pelletier said Friday the thefts occurred four to five times between May 13 and 23, and the images released came from a motion-detecting stealth camera business owner Jon Moody set up after the first theft. The device is typically used to get nighttime photos of game such as deer.
Additional Photos
In all, about 100 gallons of regular unleaded fuel was stolen from an above-ground tank, Pelletier said.
The business, a fuel supplier on Route 17 near the Route 32 intersection, deals with both diesel and regular fuel, and Moody does automotive electric repairs. Moody took ownership of the business from his father 15 years ago. It’s been family operated since the 1920s.
Based on the photos, the thieves appear to be two white men between the ages of 25 and 30, and Pelletier and Moody said they appear to be the same men during the separate thefts. They are both wearing hooded sweatshirts.
The first theft occurred over a weekend, and Moody said he was alerted by a delivery driver who told him he found caps open on the tanks.
Moody said state police recommended he buy the low-light game camera, which cost about $150.
“At that point, I locked the gate and put locks on top of the tanks,” Moody said. “Within a few days, the locks had had been cut off and they had replaced them with their own locks.”
Moody said he learned about that after viewing the footage on the camera. However, the camera had caught only the backs of the thieves.
He left their locks and repositioned the camera.
“The next time they were in, I got some good face pictures,” he said. “Then I cut off their locks, put on a different ones recommended by the police.”
He also found they had gained access by cutting a hole in the back fence.
“I’ve had those above-ground tanks for over 20 years, and this is the first time we had any problems,” Moody said. “A hundred gallons at $3.50 or $4 a gallon, that’s not pocket change.”
The thefts are being investigated by Pelletier and Trooper James MacDonald. They can be reached by calling 624-7076.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
badams@centralmaine.com
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