Four Men Arrested for Stealing Over 300 Gallons of Diesel Fuel Throughout Ventura County

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – The Ventura County Sheriff's department has arrested four suspects who reportedly worked together to steal over 300 gallons and approximately $3,330.00 worth of diesel fuel from various locations throughout Ventura County.

On September 18, 2026, patrol deputies were alerted to a reported diesel theft at Tri County Transportation, a commercial truck and semi-trailer storage yard in the unincorporated area of Oxnard. A truck driver reported that approximately 70 gallons of diesel fuel had been stolen from his semi-truck.

Surveillance footage acquired showed a vehicle entering the yard - scouting and inspecting the parked semi-trucks. Another vehicle soon arrives, a large white Ford Econoline-style van, and several suspects hop out and start siphoning fuel from a truck.

The Ventura County Sheriff's department says they were able to identify the suspects and vehicles with the help of the Flock Automated License Plate Reader system. Information gathered by the camera system connected the suspects to additional thefts conducted throughout the county dating back to August 2026.

Detectives connected the suspects to four additional thefts done in Camarillo and Thousand Oaks, including one theft in which a suspect broke a locking fuel cap. The department determined that approximately 315 gallons of diesel fuel were reported stolen in these four additional incidents and this is a combined loss of approximately $3,330.00.

The suspects were identified as four men from the Los Angeles area with 'extensive criminal history.'

On October 13, 2026, detectives got word that the men were planning another theft and scouting locations in the Thousand Oaks area. Detectives observed the men as they siphoned diesel fuel from a Freightliner truck parked in a local business parking lot. Afterwards, all four suspects were detained following various traffic stops at separate locations.

All four suspects were arrested and booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility for conspiracy Penal Code 182(a) / Conspiracy to Commit a Crime and Penal Code 484(a) / Theft, with additional charges pending.

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