Golden says the trucks two tanks were each about half full, but believes someone drained them while the truck was parked on the street overnight. He lost about 20 gallons, worth about a hundred dollars.
Clovis Police spokesperson Janet Stoll Lee says police have received a few reports of gas stolen from vehicles.
Concerned drivers are looking for protection. At NAPA auto parts in Clovis, they're selling more locking gas caps, to car owners with the same story. Owner K.C. Carroll has heard the same story from customers over and over again. "They got up in the morning and instead of having what they thought was half a tank, they've got a, you know, their tank's empty in their car."
Carroll says the locking cap is a good investment.
"Because the average price of a gas cap like this is about ten or 12 bucks. So what's that? A couple of gallons of gas."
Ray Golden has since put two locking caps on his truck. He says it's "Sort of like closing the barn door after the horse is gone."
But, they way things are going, the thieves could be back. A tank of gas or diesel is already a hot commodity.
"We may well see more of this as the price continues to go up."
Gas caps are just one solution. Police recommend keeping your vehicle in the garage if possible, or at least in a well lighted area.
