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ST. GEORGE- A Hurricane man is in jail in connection with an early morning fuel theft that allegedly took place at a Hurricane business on Tuesday – one of several recent fuel thefts reported by the company.

Hurricane officers responded to a reported theft 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 that the company had recently installed security cameras which captured the early morning incident – footage which was turned over to police.

Several static shots showed a man with multiple tattoos on both arms entering the property and going back and forth several times between vehicles taking on fuel.

The suspect was later identified as Hurricane resident Troy Scott Ringlee, 49.

Officers responded to the suspect’s residence and, when asked about the incident, Ringlee initially denied involvement in the robbery until the officer told the suspect he had been caught in footage of surveillance captured during the incident.

The officer said the tattoos in the pictures matched his own and wrote that Ringlee “didn’t say anything but he nodded in agreement with what I was saying”.

Some 15 gallons of fuel worth approximately $80 were taken from the vehicles. The officer also noted that the suspect had previously been charged with 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 canister, and from there the suspect was seen siphoning fuel from multiple vehicles as he made the tower of the property.

Reviewing the footage, officers noticed the suspect had long hair and a full beard and was wearing a short-sleeved shirt with a distinctive logo.

While surveying the area, officers knocked on the door of an RV located in a yard not far from where the alleged thefts took place, and the man who answered the door matched to the suspect in the video. He was still wearing the same distinctive shirt that was captured in the security footage.

The officer told the suspect, who was later identified as Ringlee, that while the company declined to press charges following the incident, if there were any thefts involving the suspect he could face it. possible charges of theft.

The suspect denied taking fuel from the vehicles, but according to the report, Ringlee told the officer he understood. The suspect was also informed that he had broken into the property.

Less than a month later, officers responded to the same company in Hurricane to follow up with the owner who reported that over the past few months there had been several instances of fuel running out in a number of vehicles.

The suspect allegedly responsible was captured on company security footage which showed a man entering the property wearing a baseball cap, dark jeans, boots and a light-colored shirt with cut-off sleeves.

The suspect in the footage also had multiple tattoos which were clearly visible and which matched Ringlee’s tattoos, and when officers responded to the suspect’s home in Hurricane, they advised Ringlee that he There were security cameras covering the property that showed a suspect matching his description siphoning gasoline from multiple vehicles on two separate trips in August.

Ringlee denied taking on fuel and said he did not enter the property.

When authorities informed Ringlee that the suspect in the footage shared the same tattoos, the report says the suspect said he had nothing to do with the robberies.

The suspect was later charged with one count of theft and trespassing and was convicted of the charges in January.

On January 4, Ringlee was arrested and charged with burglary after a landlord 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 approach the front door of the residence wearing blue rubber gloves as he grabbed the doorknob and tried to force the door open. open, which was captured on security footage which was also viewed by police. .

When the suspect was unable to open the door, footage showed him raising his hands and walking away. Days earlier, footage captured the same man entering the carport area of ​​the home where the burglary was reported, and the suspect was seen picking up a set of DeWalt tools before walk away.

When the officer mentioned the incident to another Hurricane detective, they “both had an idea who the suspect was” and thought it was Ringlee, a man they had known from previous interactions. with law enforcement.

When officers found the suspect in his home and asked him out, they noted that Ringlee was wearing the same coat, hat and pants as the suspect seen in the carport earlier on the video.

While speaking with officers, the suspect denied going to homes in the neighborhood and said he had been out early looking for his dog. Minutes later, according to the report, the suspect told officers he knocked on the door of the residence to ask if he could search for the dog in their backyard, but said he was not carrying gloves at the time.

After the suspect viewed the video, he reportedly admitted he was wearing gloves, but said he did so to help his hands stay warm in the cold.

To this, the officer said, “From my experience of wearing rubber gloves often, I know they offer no protection against freezing temperatures.”

The suspect was arrested and jailed for 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 due to go to trial this month.

Following Tuesday’s incident, the suspect was arrested and transported to Washington County Jail and charged with felony theft, enhanced with a misdemeanor based on his prior burglary and theft convictions. .

This report is based on statements taken from court records, police or other stakeholders and may not contain the full extent of the conclusions. Those arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty by a court or until a trier of fact decides otherwise.

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