Zahir Amir Shabazz Foiled by Worker While Allegedly Trying to Steal 120 Gallons of Gas

An employee of a San Juan Capistrano 76 gas station pulled a 49-year-old Garden Grove man out of his moving truck before he could drive off with 120 gallons in stolen gasoline Tuesday morning and held the would-be thief until deputies arrived, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Zahir Amir Shabazz is believed to have stolen gas from several Los Angeles area stations, claims sheriff's Lt. Jeff Hallock.

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Deputies pulled up to the station around 6 a.m. to find Shabazz being detained by the employee, who said he witnessed the suspect pumping gasoline into several large containers in the back of his pick-up truck, Hallock said.

Deputies discovered the pump had been manipulated so it would not charge for the gasoline pouring out of it, the sheriff's spokesman added.

The department posted video on YouTube which shows some of what happened when the employee confronted Shabazz. As the driver was getting into his vehicle to leave the gas station, he is seen being pulled out of the truck which continues on without him before leaving the camera's view.

Hallock says the truck ultimately collided with an electrical box.

The sheriff's department is now working with other law enforcement agencies to see if Shabazz can be connected to similar crimes. Anyone with information is asked to call Orange County Sheriff's Department South Investigations at 949.425.1901. Anonymous tips may also be left with Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855.847.6227 or via occrimestoppers.org.

Email: mc****@oc******.com. Twitter: @MatthewTCoker. Follow OC Weekly on Twitter @ocweekly or on Facebook!

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