Lemoore police find suspicious van loaded with diesel fuel, arrest suspects

Officers located the van parked in front of a semi-truck in the area. Through a side window, officers saw two 330-gallon tanks inside the van. According to the police,  two males inside the van pretended to be asleep and initially refused to open the door.

The suspects complied and were detained by officers. Both out of the Los Angeles area, the males were identified as 46-year-old Adrian Flores Perez and 51-year-old Carlos Argueta.

A search of the van led to the discovery that the two 330-gallon tanks were full of diesel fuel. There were also three 55-gallon barrels inside the van which also contained diesel fuel. The semi-truck – the van was parked in front of – had its fuel tank open. Officers canvased the area and located other semi-trucks which had diesel fuel spilled next to their fuel tanks.

Lemoore officers arrested suspect Perez on charges of grand theft, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of drug paraphernalia, and a bench warrant. His bail was set at $76,000.

Police arrested the other suspect, Argueta, on charges of grand theft, conspiracy to commit a crime, and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bail was set at $25,000.

This case is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Lemoore Police Department and ask for Officer Corral.