Grapevine police arrest 3 in gas theft

GRAPEVINE — Thieves jiggered a gasoline pump early Friday morning and dispensed about 160 gallons of fuel into several vehicles before police caught and arrested three men as they drove away from the convenience store.

About $637 worth of gasoline was pumped into vehicles from midnight to about 3 a.m. Friday when the store was closed, police said.

Investigators believe a second gasoline station may have lost as many gallons when it was hit early Thursday.

Police identified two of the suspects as Samuel Louis Rollins, 28, and Josef Cooper, 20, both of Fort Worth. Police had not positively identified the third man Friday afternoon.

The men were in the Grapevine Jail on suspicion of engaging in organized criminal activity/theft.

One of the men gave investigators a statement about the theft, Grapevine police Lt. Todd Dearing said Friday afternoon.

Authorities arrested the men about 3 a.m. Friday after they quickly drove away from the Circle S Food Stop No. 3, 2713 Mustang Drive, as officers passed by.

Investigators continued to question the men about how they got the pump to operate without needing to pay, police said.

Investigators believe a PDQ Foods, 1216 Northwest Highway, also may have been hit early Thursday. Investigators had not been able to determine the exact amount of fuel taken because of a computer problem at the station, police said.

According to a police report, an officer observed a heavy volume of traffic at the closed station about 3 a.m. Thursday.

The report states that when the officer checked one pump it read that it was out of service, but it turned on when the officer lifted a handle.