One man was found unconscious in a van
while police suspect he and two other men
were siphoning large amounts of gasoline
from a Circle K's underground tank in
Phoenix early Monday morning.

Phoenix police believe Robert Jeter, Jarad
Desanti and George Brabakos, all in their
mid-30s, had siphoned approximately 200
gallons from the gas station on the 1800
block of West Union Hills Drive when the
clerk received an alarm that the tank was
losing a large amount of fuel at about 12:30
a.m., said Detective James Holmes of the
Phoenix Police Department.

The clerk, having read a security flyer that
indicated a white van may have been
involved in fuel theft, immediately called the
police.

Police arrived several minutes later. Officers
opened the back doors of the van to find
Jeter passed out from fumes, Holmes said,
and he was taken to a hospital where he
regained consciousness. Jeter was later
booked into jail along with the other two men
found outside the van on suspicion of armed
burglary.

The van contained a false floor, equipment
apparently used to siphon gasoline and
breech the underground fuel pod. The van
also had a tank capable of holding 450
gallons of fuel, Holmes said.

The siphoning equipment was still
underground.

The white Chevrolet van and a Nissan Altima
were parked at the gas station, and the
Nissan's hood was up to give the appearance
that the van was helping with car troubles,
Holmes said. Police found a handgun inside
the car.

Holmes said the same van and suspects had
been involved in a fuel theft at another Circle
K on the 5100 block of North 43rd Avenue
on Feb. 12.