Upland police video shows the arrest of a man accused of drilling into a box truck to steal gas

UPLAND, Calif. (KABC) — What police thought was a catalytic converter theft in Upland turned out to be something else.

Officers with the Upland Police Department received a report of a possible catalytic converter in the 800 block of N. Mountain Ave. Sunday evening. The person who called police reported seeing a man under a box truck with power tools and “knew the truck didn’t belong to him,” police said.

When officers arrived at the scene, the suspect got into a white Kia and attempted to flee.

But after further investigation, police said the suspect was not trying to steal a catalytic converter, but instead drilled into the truck’s gas tank and siphoned gas.

Upland PD posted a video on Instagram showing aerial footage of the Ontario Police Department helicopter that assisted in the arrest.

You can see the suspect getting into the Kia as officers approach him.

The suspect was arrested on charges of vandalism, vehicle tampering and a suspended sentence, police said. Investigators said he was out on parole for an assault in Los Angeles.

The suspect’s vehicle has since been towed.

The incident remains under investigation.