2 arrested for allegedly trying to steal gas from construction site

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A man and a woman were arrested late Christmas night after being caught trying to steal gasoline from a Central Valley construction site, authorities said.

San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputies got a call around 11 p.m. about suspicious activity near Highway 99 and East French Camp Road in Manteca, according to Fox 40 in Sacramento.

Once at the scene, they found a Budget rental truck with Oklahoma license plates stuck in some mud. Next to the truck were a pickup truck, a semi-truck, an excavator and a Bobcat.

Suspect Erik Miller allegedly admitted to deputies he had an outstanding warrant and he had intended to steal gas. He said he and his partner, Shannon Miller, were trying to get from Fresno to San Francisco, but came up short on cash.

The two had allegedly stolen gas from a car earlier, and were planning to steal more gas from the construction site, but got stuck in the mud. They then tried to hotwire one of the cars parked at the construction site. A 100-gallon fuel tank was found in the back of the Budget truck, along with an electric fuel pump, siphon hoses and other materials, officials said.

The pair were arrested and face theft charges, among others.

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-- Cecilio Padilla, Fox 40 News in Sacramento