Darien Cooking Oil Theft Leads to Charges

DARIEN, CT—Police arrested two Yonkers, N.Y. men after they attempted to steal used cooking oil from a Darien restaurant, according to police.

Police responded in the morning Nov. 18 to 319 Post Road on a report of cooking oil being stolen. Officers noted that a van was parked near a dumpster labeled as used cooking oil.

The owner of Litho's restaurant noticed that cooking waste oil hadn't been filling up as quickly in the container and that a dark-colored van was seen in the overnight hours on surveillance video near the container on several occasions.

Oil is picked up by a company which pays the restaurant $60 for a full container. Used cooking oil can be refined into bio fuel.

The van had two white 250-gallon containers. One container was half full, another had only a couple of inches of oil in it and a black drum in the van also had a small amount of oil. A green hose and gas-powered pump were also in the van

When police arrived the oil container in the back of the restaurant appeared to have been tampered with.

Juan Nunez, 31 spoke no English and didn't answer officer's questions. Washington Campos, 30, said he was going to check with the restaurant owner before taking oil.

The vehicle was impounded and both were charged with sixth-degree larceny. Nunez was previously charged in New York for oil theft.