VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A Deltona man is facing multiple larceny charges after Volusia County Sheriff’s Office detectives say they caught him in the act of stealing diesel fuel from Circle K gas stations across Central Florida.
Yusniel Lara, 40, was arrested after detectives say a weeks-long investigation tied him to a string of fuel thefts at Circle K locations in Deltona and DeLand.
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Circle K stations in both cities reported multiple thefts on July 6 and July 12, with a combined loss of about 300 gallons of diesel fuel. Surveillance video from each location captured the same suspect vehicle — a white Ram 2500 pickup. Detectives used license plate reader data to identify the truck and trace it back to Lara.
Similar thefts were also reported in Sanford and Ocala during the same period.
Investigators say they entered Lara’s truck into the system as a felony vehicle. On Wednesday, a license plate reader in DeLand flagged the tag, prompting DeLand Police Department officers to locate the truck at the same Circle K where fuel had previously been stolen.
DeLand PD detained Lara, and VSO detectives responded to the scene. They say what they found painted a clear picture.
“On the driver’s seat, detectives found a large magnet commonly used to steal diesel fuel from pumps,” according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. “In the pickup bed was a large auxiliary fuel tank with the cap open, but not yet filled.”
Detectives also discovered that an access panel on the gas pump itself had been pried open. A pry tool was found in the driver’s door compartment of Lara’s truck, according to deputies.
Lara now faces multiple counts of larceny. The Sheriff’s Office says additional charges are possible as investigators continue to look into similar cases in the region.