Two men were arrested on Tuesday for stealing cooking oil from downtown Silver Spring restaurants.
According to Montgomery County Police, officers conducted an overnight criminal enforcement detail at approximately 2:20 a.m. on Tuesday when they spotted a gray Ford E-350 van driving down Mayor Lane behind several restaurants.
Two masked suspects were in the van, later identified as 24-year-old Michael Cordones-Lopez and 61-year-old Patricio Cardones-Molina. The suspects exited the van, inspected several grease dumpsters, and drove away.
Officers followed the suspects to an alley behind The Filmore Silver Spring, where they broke into a locked grease dumpster and used a generator-powered siphon to transfer used cooking oil into large tanks in their van.
Police said the suspects also broke into a grease dumpster in the same alley and took used cooking oil from the nearby Amina Thai restaurant.
While leaving the scene, officers pulled over the suspects and took them into custody. They then searched the van and discovered the stolen oil and equipment used in the crime.
Cordones-Lopez and Cardones-Molina were taken to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit and charged with fourth-degree burglary and three counts of theft under $100. They were released on unsecured personal bonds of $5,000 and $300, respectively.
Restaurants sell leftover cooking oil for biodiesel, with reported prices exceeding $2.38 per pound. Police say that approximately 20,000 pounds were recently stolen from restaurants in the DMV region.
Photo: © Naypong Studio – stock.adobe.com / MCPD Graphic