FENWICK ISLAND, Del. -- Fenwick Island police say two men have been arrested and charged in connection with a string of unusual thefts targeting used cooking oil from restaurants in and around Fenwick Island.
Fenwick Island police identified the suspects as C.S. Holder and Joshua Katulis. Authorities say the pair traveled from business to business stealing used cooking oil from outdoor storage containers behind restaurants.
Police credited cooperation from local restaurant owners for helping investigators identify the suspects. Surveillance footage captured the alleged thefts, showing the men arriving in a van, removing a hose and siphoning used cooking oil before leaving the scene.
One of the businesses targeted was the Fenwick Pub. Owner Larry LeDoyen said employees were unaware the theft was taking place until they reviewed security footage.
"We had no idea. We went back on the cameras and we saw, them, in the back and got some pretty clear pictures of them," LeDoyen said.
LeDoyen said his restaurant's used oil had already been collected that day, preventing any loss. Other businesses were not as fortunate, according to police, with some owners discovering their containers had been emptied.
LeDoyen said incidents like this won't make or break a restaurant, but LeDoyen said it does make him thankful to have cameras around the premises.
"It sucks, you know, and it's a shame they have to go to that level," LeDoyen said. "Never crossed my mind that anybody would try to steal oil from the back of my business."
Used cooking oil can be valuable because restaurants often sell it to companies that recycle it into products such as biofuel. Police say thieves can make significant profits by stealing and reselling the oil by the gallon.
"They ride around with two large hundred gallon tanks inside their vehicles. Then they hook up to the tanks and are out of there in three to five minutes," Robert Quirk with the Fenwick Island police department told WBOC.
Quirk said the incidents mark the first known cooking oil thefts in Fenwick Island, though similar crimes have been reported in other parts of the country.
Quirk said the department is encouraging restaurant owners to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.
"Businessowners should be vigilant," Quirk said. "I know most people don't think it's a big deal, but it's very expensive. These companies that recycle and supply the containers make contracts with these businesses, and that's their livelihood. The business owners collect a small portion of the funds. They actually are a victim as well."
Authorities said the suspects are expected to be released on unsecured bail and appear in a Delaware court at a later date.
