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ST. GEORGE — A Hurricane man is in jail following an early-morning fuel theft that reportedly took place at a business in Hurricane on Tuesday – one of several recent gasoline thefts reported by the company.
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Officers in Hurricane responded to a theft reported by a local business off state Route 9 involving fuel that was siphoned from a number of recreational vehicles parked near the business.
According to charging documents filed with the court, officers arrived to learn the business had recently installed security cameras that captured the early-morning incident — footage that was turned over to police.
Several still shots depicted a man with several tattoos on both arms entering the property and making several trips between the vehicles taking fuel.
The suspect later was identified as Troy Scott Ringlee, 49, of Hurricane resident.
Officers responded to the suspect’s residence and when asked about the incident, Ringlee initially denied any involvement in the theft until the officer told the suspect he was caught on surveillance footage captured during the incident.
The officer said the tattoos from the footage matched his and wrote that Ringlee “didn’t say anything but he nodded in agreement with what I was saying.”
Some 15 gallons of fuel valued at roughly $80 was taken from the vehicles. The officer also noted the suspect had previous charges involving similar thefts reported at the same location.
The case was filed in November following an investigation into a report involving 200 gallons of gasoline stolen from the same location in July.
Digital photos captured by multiple security cameras clearly showed a man entering the property with a gas can, and from there, the suspect was seen siphoning fuel from multiple vehicles as he made the rounds through the property.
While viewing the images, officers noted the suspect had long hair and a full beard and was wearing a short-sleeved shirt with a distinctive logo.
While canvassing the area, officers knocked on the door of an RV located in a yard that was not far from where the alleged thefts took place, and the man who answered the door matched the suspect in the video. He was still wearing the same distinctive shirt that was captured on the security footage.
The officer told the suspect, who was later identified as Ringlee, that even though the business declined to press any charges following the incident if there were any thefts going forward involving the suspect then he could face possible felony theft charges.
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The suspect denied taking any fuel from the vehicles, but according to the report, Ringlee told the officer he understood. The suspect was also advised that he was trespassed from the property.
Less than a month later, officers responded to the same business in Hurricane to follow up with the owner who reported that over the past few months, there had been several instances where fuel was missing from a number of vehicles.
The suspect believed to be responsible had been captured on the company’s security footage that showed a man entering the property wearing a baseball cap, dark jeans, boots and a light-colored shirt with the sleeves cut off.
The suspect in the footage also had several tattoos that were clearly visible that matched Ringlee’s tattoos, and when officers responded to the suspect’s home in Hurricane, they advised Ringlee that there were security cameras covering the property that showed a suspect matching his description siphoning gasoline from several vehicles during two separate trips in August.
Ringlee denied taking any fuel and said he hadn’t entered the property.
When authorities informed Ringlee that the suspect in the footage shared the same tattoos, the report states the suspect said he had nothing to do with the thefts.
The suspect was later charged with one misdemeanor count each of theft and trespassing and was convicted of the charges in January.
On Jan. 4, Ringlee was arrested and charged with felony burglary after a homeowner called 911 shortly after 10 p.m. to report a burglary at one of the caller’s residences.
The reporting party told officers they could see a man approaching the front door of the residence wearing blue rubber gloves as he grabbed the door handle and was trying to force the door open, all of which was captured on security footage that was also viewed by police.
When the suspect was unable to get the door open, footage showed him throwing his hands up and walking away. Days before, footage captured the same man entering the carport area of the home where the burglary had been reported, and the suspect was seen picking up a set of DeWalt tools before walking away.
When the officer mentioned the incident to another detective in Hurricane, they both “had an idea of who the suspect was” and believed it was Ringlee, a man they were familiar with from previous interactions with law enforcement.
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When officers found the suspect at his home and asked him to step outside, they noted that Ringlee was wearing the same coat, hat and pants as the suspect seen in the carport earlier on video.
While speaking with officers, the suspect denied going up to any houses in the neighborhood and said he was out earlier looking for his dog. Minutes later, the report states, the suspect told officers he had knocked on the door of the residence to ask if he could search for the dog in their backyard but said he was not wearing any gloves at the time.
After the suspect viewed the video, he allegedly admitted that he was wearing gloves, but said he did so to help his hands stay warm in the cold.
To that, the officer stated, “From my experience of wearing rubber gloves often, I know they do not provide any protection against freezing temperatures.”
The suspect was arrested and booked into jail on felony burglary and other charges. In March, the suspect pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted burglary and the theft charge was dismissed. The case was scheduled for sentencing this month.
Following the incident on Tuesday, the suspect was arrested and transported to jail in Washington County and he was charged with felony theft, enhanced from a misdemeanor offense based on his prior convictions for burglary and theft.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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