Police: Couple Stole $2K Worth of Used Cooking Oil From Suffolk County Restaurants

A couple from Yonkers was arrested Sunday after police say they stole about 650 gallons of valuable used cooking oil from various Suffolk County restaurants.

A Fourth Precinct Crime Section officer was on his way to work when he spotted a 2004 Ford van at the New Grand Buffet, located at 1704 Veterans Memorial Highway in Hauppauge, at about 8 a.m. Sunday, police said.

The officer recognized the vehicle that was previously used to steal cooking oil from restaurants throughout the county, police said. The officer observed Domingo Santos, 40, withdrawing used cooking oil from an oil canister located behind the restaurant, police said.

Santos, and his girlfriend, Vanessa Liriano, 31, were arrested and were found to be in possession of 650 gallons of used cooking oil, which is typically refined and sold as bio-fuel, police said. The stolen cooking oil had an approximately value of $2,000, police said.

Santos and Liriano were each charged with 16 counts of petty larceny, one count of possession of stolen property, a E class felony, and one count of possession of burglary tools. Santos was also charged with one count criminal possession of marijuana.

The investigation is continuing, police said. Santos and Liriano were held overnight at the Fourth Precinct and are scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Monday.

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