Central Florida man arrested for diesel theft

A 26-year-old man from Central Florida was arrested for diesel theft.

On September 17, at approximately 11:15 p.m., Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office officers responded to a call of a vehicle with a stolen Florida license plate near Progress Boulevard and Falkenburg Road, near Tampa.

Officers contacted the driver, 26-year-old Jesus Alvarez-Moreno, and noticed a strong smell of diesel.

A search of the vehicle revealed that it had been modified to steal diesel from underground fuel tanks. Inside were a 300-gallon plastic cube container, two 55-gallon plastic drums, and car batteries. Two of the drums contained fuel.

Alvarez-Moreno is charged with illegal transportation of fuel, driving an unregistered motor vehicle, displaying an unassigned license plate and driving without a valid driver's license.

Alvarez-Moreno had already been arrested on August 23 for diesel theft and was released on bail.

“Law-abiding citizens seeking to conduct business in our community are impacted by these crimes,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “This suspect was caught stealing not once, but twice, and would have stolen even more if not for the quick response of our deputy.”

According to local law enforcement, this is an ongoing investigation.