Three suspects vandalize gas pumps at Ash Fork service station; YCSO seeks info

Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YSCO) deputies say they are looking for three suspects who were involved in vandalizing gas pumps at an Ash Fork service station in mid-November, which inhibited business operations.

A news release stated on Monday that the manager of the gas station, located in the 900 block of Frontage Road in Ash Fork, reported the vandalism to YCSO on Nov. 14.

At around noon on Nov. 12, the manager said she realized that her customers couldn’t make transactions for gas at pumps. When she tried to inspect the pumps, she reported that she couldn’t open their panels.

The manager added that she noticed some of the panel keyholes were glued shut. And, in at least one pump, the wiring for the data collector was missing, leaving the station owner and manager confused.

YCSO deputies stated that a follow-up investigation didn’t reveal significant leads for nabbing the suspects. The store provided video surveillance, but the image quality is poor, deputies added.

The surveillance video of the incident shows three suspects. YCSO says one suspect can be seen staying at the pumps while another suspect can be seen dancing in the background. Another suspect appears to walk out of the convenience store sometime afterward.

Toward the end of the incident, the suspects appear to climb into a modern-looking black sedan with silver rims and silver trim and leave the scene, YCSO reports. Video footage didn’t reveal the make and model of the car, deputies added. To watch a copy of the video, visit https://youtube/FxVbeNYrgVo.

YCSO officials say that they are fully aware of the video’s poor quality, but remain hopeful that someone can connect the three suspects to the black sedan.

The service station estimated that it would cost $3,000 to fix its malfunctioning pumps.

Additional losses were accrued when pay-at-the-pump customers couldn’t buy fuel for about 24 hours. The station attendant reported that pay-at-the-pump transactions didn’t occur from about noon on Nov. 13 through just before 11 a.m. on Nov. 14.

Anyone with information about any of the identities of the suspects should call Yavapai Silent Witness at 1-800-932-3232. Silent Witness says it is offering a cash reward of as much as $350 for any direct tip leading to an arrest.

To report information and/or to ask questions about the case, call YCSO at 928-771-3260 or visit the YCSO website at ycsoaz.gov.

Information provided by the Sheriff’s Office.