2 men accused of stealing cooking oil from St. Pete restaurant: Police
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Two men were arrested early Wednesday morning after St. Petersburg police say they broke into Metro Diner and stole cooking oil.
The suspects, 49-year-old Wilmer Kindelan Durand and 53-year-old Julio Cesar Diaz Ona, were both charged with burglary: structure unoccupied, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department.
Officials say the men entered a closed st orage shed that was at the back of the diner located at 5250 4th St N, St.
The shed housed a tank used for cooking oil, according to investigators. SPPD says Durand was seen pumping used oil from the tank into his own tanker truck.
Authorities say the Metro Diner tank is owned by Dar Pro Solutions, a company which usually collects the oil from the diner.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, recycled restaurant greases, vegetable oils and animal fats are used to produce biodiesel. Which is why the Dar Pro Solutions website says cooking oil thief is an "eight-figure black market that is continuously growing."
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Police say Durand was seen stealing oil from another nearby restaurant just before going to Metro Diner.
Durand was also charged with driving while license suspended/revoked (one prior) when police stopped him during the investigation, according to officials.
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