Thieves in California Drill Holes in Gas Tanks: What Every Driver Needs to Know

Californians are already grappling with sky-high gas prices, but now they’re facing another challenge: cunning thieves siphoning off their fuel in inventive ways.

Jacalyn Villalobos-Becerra, a resident of Long Beach, recounted to The Post how a thief used a drill to drain her vehicle’s gas tank late last month.

She first noticed the damage on the morning of March 31 as she was preparing to leave for work.

“I was loading my car when I heard a strange noise underneath it just after shutting the door,” she recalled.

“The sound was quite loud, so I stepped back, thinking it might be a raccoon or skunk, which are common around here. When I shone my flashlight, I was shocked to see gasoline pouring out,” she explained.

Villalobos-Becerra shared a photo revealing a small, round hole in her gas tank and a large, gasoline-soaked patch on the pavement.

“It smelled really bad,” Villalobos-Becerra said. “It still smells, actually.”

Another victim from Long Beach suffered a similar fate this week, posting a video on TikTok of a hole in his gas tank.

“Yes sir, they drained all my gasoline Monday morning,” Jose Figueroa told The Post, adding he had to pay out of pocket for the repairs.

The driver also told Fox 11 that he heard “what sound[ed] like a faucet running” when he went to fill up his tank.

“I look down and there was gasoline all over,” he said.

The new scourge comes as Californians face paying the highest gas prices in the nation.

A gallon of regular gas in Los Angeles-Long Beach area cost an average of $6.015 as of Friday. For a smaller car with a 12-gallon gas tank, that would be about $72 worth of fuel on a full tank.

A truck like the 2025 Ford F-150 holds 36 gallons of gas — upping potential thieves’ haul to about $217 worth of gas on a full tank.

Costs also add up if victims need their tank replaced after being drilled. A new gas tank can cost more than $1,500, according to Repair Pal.

Figueroa, whos said the damage cost him about $1,000 in repairs, added that a tow truck driver told him he was the third car in the area to have their fuel tank drilled.

Commenters on his video said they also fell victim to the crime.

“Girl I’m in Long Beach too and this happened to me a week ago,” one wrote.

“So sorry this happened to you, happened to me as well,” another added. “$600 to fix.”

The California Post contacted the Long Beach Police Department for comment.

“We have enough worries,” Figueroa told Fox 11. “The last thing I want to worry about is someone stealing our gas.”

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