Deputies from El Paso County have made an arrest in a case involving fuel theft, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office reported. On April 21, Carlos Modesto, 40, of San Elizario, was implicated in stealing roughly 500 gallons of diesel from a well owned by the El Paso County Water Improvement District, with law enforcement being tipped off by a red pickup truck at the scene.
According to El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte, the investigation ramped up two days later when officers, acting on an unrelated tip visited a property in San Elizario, there they found a vehicle matching the description of the pickup truck involved in the theft and a search warrant led to the seizure of one vehicle and impoundment of another, along with the tools used in the diesel fuel theft.
The arrest didn't occur until May 11, when Modesto was pulled over in a red Chevrolet Silverado. He initially tried to deceive officers by providing a false name, and when they didn't buy it, he resisted arrest. Modesto now faces multiple charges, including "Theft of Property ≥$750 < $2,500", "Failure to Identify Fugitive with Intent to Give False Information", and "Resisting Arrest, Search, or Transport," with a total bond set at $17,500.
