A 35-year-old man was apprehended by an Ocala Police Department K-9 after he allegedly stole over $1,000 worth of diesel fuel from a local gas station.
On Monday, January 13, at around 10 p.m., OPD officers responded to the RaceTrac gas station located at 4820 SW College Road in reference to a fuel theft incident. An employee told the officers that the business had been “hit several times for fuel thefts” in recent months, according to the arrest report.
In each theft incident, the employee advised that a van parked over the fuel reservoir cap and syphoned gas from the tank.
The employee stated that at around 9:30 p.m. that night, a brown Chrysler van was observed outside the gas station, and it was parked over the fuel reservoir. The report stated that the employee captured the van’s tag number and called law enforcement.
In total, 294 gallons of diesel fuel were stolen, resulting in a loss of $1,084.86 for the gas station.
An OPD officer arrived on scene with a K-9 partner and observed that the brown van was parked over the fuel reservoir. While approaching the van, the officer observed a man – later identified as Juan Carlos Abreu-Reyes – inside the vehicle, according to the report.
When the officer ordered Abreu-Reyes to exit the van, he allegedly ignored the officer and began driving through the parking lot. After exiting the parking lot, Abreu-Reyes allegedly exited the vehicle and attempted to flee from the officer on foot.
The report stated that the officer’s K-9 partner pursued Abreu-Reyes, the canine apprehended Abreu-Reyes as he attempted to jump over a fence.
During a search of the van, officers allegedly found multiple storage containers for fuel. OPD also learned that the vehicle was unregistered.
Abreu-Reyes was placed under arrest and transported to a local hospital for treatment of a dog bite. After being medically cleared, he was booked into Marion County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond. He is facing the following charges: grand theft, resisting arrest without violence, operating an unregistered vehicle, unlawful conveyance of fuel, and organized dealing in stolen property.
On Tuesday, February 18, Abreu-Reyes is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m., according to jail records.