Two arrested after gas theft from U-Haul trucks near Garner

Two men were arrested after Wake County deputies say someone siphoned gasoline from several U-Haul trucks in a parking lot near Garner, turning an overnight nuisance call into a criminal case with multiple charges.

The case began around 2:30 a.m. Monday in the 3600 block of Benson Road, when a deputy responded to suspicious activity near Garner. The caller told investigators that a person was taking gas from several U-Haul trucks parked nearby, a theft method that can hit rental fleets hard because one incident can drain fuel from multiple vehicles at once.

Court records identify the arrested men as Dustin Saltzman, 34, and Anthony Atwood, 30. Saltzman faces 12 counts of injure or tampering with a vehicle, seven counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle with theft, and six counts of misdemeanor larceny. Atwood faces six counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle with theft, six counts of injure or tampering with a vehicle, five counts of misdemeanor larceny, and one count of resisting a public officer.

For U-Haul and similar fleet operators, the damage goes beyond the price of the missing gas. Siphoning can leave trucks out of service, create inspection and repair costs, and force companies to spend more on security around storage lots and rental sites. Small movers that rely on those trucks can take the hit immediately if a vehicle is unavailable for a scheduled job, and renters can feel the squeeze if losses and security expenses show up later in higher prices or tighter access to vehicles.

The Wake County Sheriff's Office said the investigation is still ongoing. Even though the case centered on property crime rather than violence, deputies treated it as a serious matter because the suspected theft involved several vehicles and occurred in the overnight hours, when parking lots are easier to target and harder to watch.