A group of cars stole nearly 400 gallons of gas amid growing frustration with the rise in gas prices.
According to CNN, 398 gallons of gas were stolen from the Bizzy Bee Grocery Store and Gas Station in High Point, North Carolina, on Monday. Owner Hardik Patel said he will begin shutting off power to the pumps after business hours.
He explained surveillance footage showed a car pulled up close to the pumps and an individual appeared to bypass the payment system using a device, as CNN reported.
More than 15 cars then pulled up to the pumps and filled their tanks over 45 minutes, taking $1,600 worth of gas.
Patel told CNN, “I’ve been in business for 15 years and owned other gas stations. I have never seen something like this. It wasn’t free, they were stealing.”
He said if the station experiences gas theft “too often,” he will have to consider whether it is best to stay in business.
“If I lose more than I make, there might be some things to think about,” Patel said.
Additionally, CNN reported that Patel said police were alerted to the incident by people who called to report cars that were at the station after-hours.
Watch the video below:
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden called on companies to lower gas prices as the price of oil per barrel decreases.
“Oil prices are decreasing, gas prices should too. Last time oil was $96 a barrel, gas was $3.62 a gallon. Now it’s $4.31,” Biden tweeted. “Oil and gas companies shouldn’t pad their profits at the expense of hardworking Americans.”
Gas prices spiked past $4 a gallon last week, as NPR Reported.
While speaking to a gathering of House Democrats on Friday, Biden said the spike in gas prices is not his fault and pointed to Russian President Vladimir Putin as the one to blame, as IJR reported.
“Make no mistake, inflation is largely the fault of Putin. I love the Republicans saying it’s Biden saying he’s going to stop the Keystone pipeline — and I did — and that’s the reason prices went up. Folks, let’s get something straight there. The Keystone pipeline was two years away and had been 2% finished. Give me a break,” Biden said.
He added, “Don’t let anybody tell you anything you did supporting the idea that we block Russian oil coming into the country — and I said at the time prices are going to go up for gasoline — it wasn’t anything we did.”