Thieves target fuel tanks of unsuspecting drivers on Kauai

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A rise in gasoline thefts on Kauai is leaving drivers with costly repairs and rattled nerves.

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Sachi Detreaux was at a Kilauea gas station Monday filling up the tank when they heard a strange sound.

“I’m thinking that someone was pouring out a water bottle behind me because … that was the sound it was making,” Detreaux said.

But it wasn’t water. It was gasoline.

Workers at the gas station and mini mart were notified, and good Samaritans helped push the vehicle across the street where a tow truck picked it up.

“That’s when we figured out that it wasn’t the brake line being cut, it was actually, someone had punctured the fuel tank,” Detreaux said

They suspect someone did it while they were away on a trip earlier this month. Upon closer inspection, the parking stall at their condo was soaked with leaking gas.

After Detreaux shared the story online, one of their friends also came forward, saying her gas tank was stabbed one night when she was parked near the Wailua River.

A local auto business on Kauai said they’ve seen the damage first hand, fixing about 10 punctured fuel tanks in the last year.

Mechanics at McCully Union Service on Oahu say they too have seen cases like this in the past, and it can be a complicated and costly fix.

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“Price wise it can hit over $1,000. And on top of that, in combination, if other pieces were damaged in the extraction of those pieces,” manager Charles Tomas said.

With high gas prices across the state, including on Kauai where it’s nearly $6 a gallon, thieves are getting bold, and mechanics say there’s not much you can do to safeguard your vehicle.

“At this point in time, there’s not like a protection, you know, as far as keeping a cover over the fuel tanks like how they did for catalytic converters years ago,” Tomas said.

Keeping an eye out for shady characters near your vehicles or in your community could just be your best bet.

“People are doing crazy things. Aside from the fuel, just be diligent and being mindful of what’s happening around you, you know, just gotta be aware,” Tomas added.

As for Detraux, a police report was filed, and the vehicle is in the shop. They’re saddened to think the tough economy is pushing people to steal gas, possibly endangering others.

“As difficult as times are, you shouldn’t ever put someone’s life at risk or, or put … someone in an unsafe situation,” they said.

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