The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) put the brakes on a fuel‑theft ring that allegedly targeted several Seligman-area gas stations.
YCSO launched an investigation after a gas station in Seligman, Arizona, reported a large diesel fuel theft.
A neighboring gas station had also been targeted by fuel thieves the same night, leading to a combined loss of more than 2,000 gallons of diesel.
As part of the investigation, a YCSO deputy spotted a parked U-Haul that matched the description of a suspect vehicle.
“Taking a closer look, the deputy noticed diesel fuel leaking from the cargo area onto the street. The deputy then located shoe prints leading from the fuel spill directly to a nearby hotel room,” YCSO said.
With help from the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), officers arrested two suspects who were still in the hotel room.
A search uncovered a credit card skimmer device, receipts for the specific tools used to commit the burglaries, and multiple credit cards bearing the names of uninvolved individuals, as well as the keys to the U-Haul.
When police searched the U-Haul, they found “a makeshift transport system consisting of seven containers holding approximately 2,100 gallons of stolen diesel fuel.”
Dachel Roberto Michel Campos, 37, of Las Vegas and Jesus Daniel Rodriguez Yordy, 23, also of Las Vegas, were arrested on burglary and theft charges.
YCSO praised the investigating deputy for “excellent, old‑fashioned detective work.”
Deputies believe a third suspect was involved in the diesel fuel thefts, and they are seeking a newer‑model black Ford F‑650 flatbed truck.
Anyone with information is asked to contact YCSO at 928‑771‑3260.
YCSO said that the diesel fuel theft is not believed to be connected to the recent cargo theft incidents in the area tied to a professional criminal organization based in Southern California.
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