Overview
- Police stopped the theft early Saturday, Oct. 10, after a neighbor alerted the owner of Anchor Pub & Grille and officers found suspects loading about 750 gallons of used cooking oil from two Cabot Street businesses into a rental van.
- Beverly authorities arrested 18-year-old Jassiel Benitez Diaz and two boys, ages 17 and 16, and charged all three with multiple counts including larceny from a building, receiving stolen property over $1,200, and use of a motor vehicle in a felony; Benitez Diaz also faces an unlicensed operation charge.
- Officers discovered a pump, a large hose, and three liquid storage tanks inside the rental van, which firefighters inspected, contained a small spill, and had to tow from the scene.
- Police recovered the stolen oil and estimated its value at roughly $2,500–$2,750, and investigators said the case fits a broader pattern of similar regional thefts where thieves resell used oil for recycling or conversion into biodiesel.
- Industry sources link higher diesel prices to stronger demand and higher prices for used cooking oil, a dynamic that raises incentives for theft and leaves restaurants with exposed outdoor storage a clear vulnerability and potential safety risk.