Tampa man accused of stealing fuel from Spring Hill gas station
SPRING HILL, Fla. - A Tampa man was arrested for stealing fuel from a Spring Hill gas station on Friday, deputies said.
The Hernando County Sheriff's Office said Ruben Dario, 21, is accused of stealing the fuel from the RaceTrac at 9410 Cortez Boulevard.
A gas station manager called 911 to report the incident just before 10 p.m. on Friday, according to investigators. The manager told deputies that the system alerted them to a major loss of fuel in progress.

Booking photo of Ruben Dario. Courtesy: Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
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Authorities said the manager saw a silver van parked over an area where tankers usually replenish the gas station's fuel reservoir. The driver of the van left before deputies arrived at the scene, but the manager was able to give them a tag number and what direction the suspect went.
Dario was spotted by deputies traveling in the area of Osowaw Boulevard and Tarpon Boulevard, but he took off from law enforcement, HCSO said. However, deputies, with the help of the Florida Highway Patrol, were able to conduct a traffic stop on him in the driveway that led to the Hernando County landfill.

Courtesy: Florida Highway Patrol.
Troopers said they had to intentionally hit the back of the van to keep the driver from taking off from the dead-end stop. Dario was taken into custody after he was pulled over, according to investigators.
Deputies said a strong odor of gasoline was coming from the van and the rear windows were spray-painted black. They said they found large drums in the back of the van with hoses and electric pumps attached, as well as a hole cut in the floorboard of the van that allowed access to the ground without getting out of the vehicle.

Courtesy: Florida Highway Patrol.
Dario was arrested on multiple charges, including retail fuel theft, unlawful conveyance of fuel, operating a motor vehicle without a valid license and reckless driving. Officials said he was taken to the Hernando County Detention Center, where his bond was set at $11,000.
Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact Hernando County Crime Stoppers by calling 1-866-990-8477 or by submitting a tip online.
The Source: The information in this story was released by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Highway Patrol.
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