Police Say Modified Truck Was Used in Pembroke Pines Fuel Thefts

Police in Pembroke Pines, Florida, say Rodolfo Molina Conde used a modified pickup truck and a device to obtain fuel without paying at two 7-Eleven locations. He was arrested on November 10 and faces multiple felony charges. As of the morning of November 11, he remained in Broward County jail on a $13,300 bond.

In the incident leading to his arrest, an officer responding to a reported fuel theft found a pump displaying a transaction of about $20 while fuel continued flowing into the truck. Investigators said the vehicle had a second tank in its bed, with a capacity of nearly 200 gallons, connected to a separate fuel line. They say a magnetic device interfered with the pump’s payment system. Police estimated that 122 gallons of diesel, worth $705.16, were taken.

Investigators also tied Conde to a theft on October 14 at another 7-Eleven on Pines Boulevard. They said surveillance footage showed a person placing a device on a pump before a Dodge Ram arrived and was filled without payment. Police estimated about 153 gallons, valued at $948.60, were stolen. Officers seized the truck and found magnets, three cellphones, cash and equipment associated with its modified fuel system.

The charges against Conde included major theft, illegal transport of fuel, fraudulently acquiring fuel, a minor theft, and unlicensed fuel transport. He requested an attorney after police read him his rights. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Chief Steve Gollan warned that carrying fuel in an unapproved container could endanger people nearby, particularly if the vehicle crashes.