Worcester man used Home Depot truck in cooking oil theft: Cops

• Posted by Worcester News 13 hours ago - Filed in News - #Worcester  #Shrewsbury  #crime  #Home Depot  #Hampton Police  #Jose Rivera Deleon  #cooking oil theft  #used cooking oil  #Imperial Buffet  #New Hampshire  - 1,534 views

  

  Truck in August theft came from Worcester Home Depot

  HAMPTON, N.H. — A Worcester man was among 3 people arrested in New Hampshire in an investigation into the theft of used cooking oil from restaurants, a case that authorities said also has connections to Worcester and Shrewsbury.

  Jose Rivera Deleon, 31, of Worcester, was arrested Tuesday, September 30th, along with Neyl Junior Garcia De Jesus, 23, of the Bronx, New York, and Luis A. Rijo Kelly, 27, of Pawtucket, R.I., according to the Hampton Police Department.

  The investigation began August 6th after Hampton police responded to Las Olas on Lafayette Road for a report that used cooking oil had been stolen from a 50-gallon container behind the restaurant.

  Police said surveillance footage showed a gray Toyota RAV4 arrive behind the restaurant shortly before 8 a.m. A passenger got out, approached the cooking oil container and opened its lid before returning to the vehicle.

  About 11 minutes later, a white box truck displaying Home Depot logos arrived and backed up to the container, police said. 2 people allegedly used a machine and hose to transfer cooking oil into containers in the rear of the truck while a third person remained inside.

  Investigators identified the vehicle as a rented 2025 Chevrolet Express G-3500 box truck associated with a Home Depot location in Worcester, police said.

  Hampton detectives later coordinated with Shrewsbury police after learning of a similar incident there. Shrewsbury police responded August 21st to Imperial Buffet, 380 Maple Ave., for a report of a person allegedly attempting to gain access to the restaurant's used cooking oil.

  Investigators determined that the same rental truck was associated with both the Hampton and Shrewsbury incidents, according to Hampton police.

  The investigation took another turn Tuesday when a Las Olas employee contacted police after spotting a white Budget rental truck near Wok Express. Police said the employee, who knew about the August theft, saw people near the rear of the truck who appeared to be siphoning used cooking oil from containers outside the restaurant.

  Officers located the truck traveling south on Lafayette Road and stopped it. Police identified the occupants as Rivera Deleon, Garcia De Jesus and Rijo Kelly.

  Investigators determined that used cooking oil had allegedly been taken from Wok Express and nearby Destination India, police said.

  The driver consented to a search of the truck's rear storage area, where officers found about 1,000 gallons of additional cooking oil believed to have been stolen, according to police. Investigators are working to determine where the oil came from and who owns it.

  All 3 were arrested without incident. Each was charged with a misdemeanor count of theft and a misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property.

  The three were arraigned in 10th Circuit Court-District Division-Hampton and released. They are scheduled to return to court in November.

  The investigation remains active, and police said additional information could be released. Anyone with information is asked to contact Hampton police at 603-929-4444. Anonymous tips may be submitted to Crimeline for the Hamptons at 603-929-1222.