Felon suspected of gasoline thefts

At a time when many motorists are feeling robbed at the gas pumps, King County sheriff's detectives say a felon managed to steal nearly 20,000 gallons of gasoline from unsuspecting service stations between Bellingham and Oregon.

They say David Torres then turned around and sold the fuel for about half of what service stations were charging.

"This is no Robin Hood," said King County sheriff's spokesman John Urquhart. "It's a for-profit venture."

Torres, 36, was wanted by police and the state Department of Corrections when he was arrested Wednesday after a brief pursuit in Lakewood, Pierce County.

"We have never had a bulk theft of gas like this that I'm aware of," said Urquhart.

Urquhart said Torres is believed to have tampered with at least 15 gas pumps along the Interstate 5 corridor — allowing him to fill several 55-gallon drums for free. Most of the victims weren't aware of the theft until much later.

"Part of the problem with this crime is the victims don't know they have lost the gasoline until they start reconciling their inventory," he said.

Detectives have identified gas stations that may have been targeted, but they're still unsure how many were hit, Urquhart said.

Detectives are also searching for people they say purchased fuel from Torres; they, too, could face felony charges.

Torres was seen on surveillance video stealing more than 1,000 gallons of diesel and premium-unleaded fuel at three gas stations between Feb. 12 and 14, according to a King County Sheriff's Office report. The thefts were made using a method investigators wouldn't divulge.

On March 13, Torres was spotted on surveillance video stealing gas in Gig Harbor, the report said.

Torres is being held at the King County Jail for investigation of theft, trafficking in stolen property and for a probation violation. Torres, who served prison time for assault, failed to report to his probation officer Jan. 10, leading to a warrant for his arrest in late January.

Police in King County and other areas say they have seen an increase in gas thefts in recent weeks as the price per gallon has climbed.

But the recent thefts aren't the largest seen in the area in recent years.

In March 2007, an Olympia man was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison for stealing more than 2.9 million gallons of gas from a Harbor Island fuel depot between 1999 and 2004. Martin Guitard, 48, was a supervisor at the fuel depot and knew a code that allowed him and other employees to pump fuel from the depot without a record, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294

or jensullivan@seattletimes.com