Thieves hack into Detroit gas pump, stealing more than 600 gallons

DETROIT (WJBK) - How does someone steal more than 600 gallons of gas from a gas station -- in the middle of the day? 

That's what Detroit Police are working to figure out right now. They're looking for the high-tech thieves who somehow hacked into a gas pump

Police say the massive gas guzzle took over an hour and a half. Add that to the fact they say 10 vehicles were involved. The damage comes to about $1,800 worth of gas. 

"I can't even imagine how they could pull that off without the gas people inside knowing," gas customer Ida Lewis wondered. "Couldn't they shut the pumps off?"

Good question.

We asked the clerk who was there June 23 when the gas guzzlers were getting away with the goods.

"For a while it looks like there were just cars coming through taking the gas. And your screen was blank?" Hilary Golston asks him. 

"I tried to stop it but it didn't work," Aziz Awadh told us. "I tried to stop it here from the screen but the screen's not working. I tried to stop it from the system; nothing working (sic)."

Aziz says the system wouldn't respond and it wasn't until he says he got an emergency kit that he was able to shut the pump down, and then call police. 

The internet is filled with videos on how to get free gas, which might have informed the perps practices. Police say they used a remote device to hack the pump at 1 in the afternoon. Broad daylight.

Police aren't sure if the people in the 10 cars were all in on it All they could say is they're investigating.

We also asked about surveillance video, which the owner did not want to share. Police did confirm, though, that whatever device was used did stop the pump from being turned off inside.