Gas Thief Confuses Pay at the Pump With Pay The Police

A Milwaukee man tried to pay an officer for the gas he took off with after explaining that he thought the gas was free. His explanation didn't hold up when the Open Pantry clerk said he pressed the "Pay Inside" button before filling up and taking off. 

According to the report:

got a call from an employee at 6:23 p.m. Thursday that someone had just driven off with $40.01 of gas without paying. The clerk said the car was heading southbound on North Port Washington Road. Police caught up with the car that matched the description from the clerk and pulled it over. 

The officer asked the driver, a 20-year-old man from Milwaukee, if he had forgotten to pay for the gas he just got at Open Pantry. He quickly showed a handful of cash and said he could pay for it right away. He told the officer he began to pump the gas and thought it and been pre-paid or was free since there had been $0.07 already on the meter. A Department of Transportation check showed the driver and passenger both had suspended licenses in addition to the gas drive-off. 

Police took the driver into custody for theft. He was cited for retail theft and operating after suspension. At 8:15 p.m., police took the man back to the Open Pantry where he paid the $40.01 for the gas.

The clerk confirmed that the man had pressed the button to “Pay Inside” before pumping the gas. The clerk said he kept an eye on the man because he thought he looked suspicious and the man looked directly at the clerk when he got back into his car and left the parking lot.