Brazen gas thieves steal $65K in diesel fuel — including 9,000-gallon Coachella haul

Fuente: New York Post

A pair of thieves was arrested for allegedly stealing nearly 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel worth more than $65,000 in two separate heists of the pricey petroleum. Steven Anthony Bailey, 40, and Brian Briseño Mena, 27, were taken into custody after officers linked them to the gas thefts in May 2025 and March 2026, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday. On May 16, 2025, deputies responded to a business in Mecca, where the suspects has tampered with a diesel pump and used modified vehicles to steal about 463 gallons of fuel worth roughly $2,100 before fleeing the scene and leaving behind a vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office.