Theft of fuel investigated in Cass County, arrest made

An arrest has been made in the theft of fuel from both a Hackensack and Backus retailer.

Cass County Sheriff Bryan Welk reports that at 8:21 p.m. Monday the sheriff’s office was contacted of a theft of fuel from a retailer in Hackensack valued at $259.55.

Earlier in the evening there was a reported theft of fuel from a Backus retailer with a $300 value. Information from the retailers was consistent with an individual filling barrels or drums in the bed of a Toyota pickup and leaving without paying for the fuel.

This information also matched the description of a fuel theft reported June 4 from a Remer retailer, where the pickup was pulling a utility trailer with barrels on it.

Deputies located the described pickup on State 371 in Shingobee Township. A traffic stop was initiated and 28-year-old Sapphire Torres from Duluth was arrested and transported to the Cass County Detention Center with formal charges pending for one count of possession of burglary or theft tools, three counts of theft of motor fuel from retailer, and one count of tampering with a motor vehicle.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office suspects that additional fuel thefts, similar in this report, have occurred in the region and possibly in northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin areas, and encourages retailers with information to report any theft to their local law enforcement jurisdiction and have them contact the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and speak with Investigator Robison for additional information and follow-up.