Authorities in Philadelphia are puzzled after stumbling upon over 150 gallons of gasoline in an abandoned home.
The discovery was made on Monday night at around 9 p.m. ET. Police were called to the 100 block of North 59th Street in West Philadelphia after receiving complaints of a strong gasoline odor emanating from an abandoned property in the area, Fox 29 News reported.
Once officers began searching the building, they found the source of the offending odor: 154 one-gallon milk jugs filled with gasoline.
Now, officials are trying to figure out what the plan was for the gasoline, even considering the possibility that it was being stored to sell at a later date. This comes as Philadelphia has been among the major cities in which gas prices surpassed $5 a gallon during the recent historic spike in costs nationwide.
A hazmat team was called to the property to begin handling the "very bizarre" materials, while neighbors near the building were safely evacuated with no injuries reported. Personnel with the Philadelphia Fire Department and Licenses and Inspections also worked through the night to remove the hazardous materials from the building, with NBC Philadelphia noting that crews were seen leaving the area on Tuesday morning.
"A very volatile, dangerous situation for 154 gallons [of gasoline], all in separate one-gallon milk containers, inside of a property, in a residential neighborhood—what a fire hazard that is," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told NBC Philadelphia.
Small told local press outlets that a "person of interest" in the case, 37, has been taken into custody by police. He further explained that the man had lived in the home prior to it burning down in March. When police arrived on the scene Monday night, the man was there, with neighbors noting that he is known to still frequent the area.
A joint investigation is now being carried out to try and determine how the gasoline was acquired and what the plan was for it. Small said that law enforcement is still unsure about the details.
"Is it stolen? Was it possibly going to be used for arson? We're not certain at this time," Small said.
The chief inspector added that officials are considering the possibility that the gas was being stored so that it could be sold at a later date.
Newsweek reached out to the Philadelphia Police for comment.
During this spike in gas prices, stories began to emerge nationwide of thieves covertly attempting to siphon massive amounts of gasoline directly from underground tanks at stations.
One gas thief caught himself on fire.
An April analysis by Newsweek found that around $140,000 dollars worth of fuel had by then been stolen from locations across the country.
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August 02, 2022 at 11:30PM
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