SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A man stealing fuel from an underground tank at a Spokane Valley Exxon station triggered an explosion that destroyed his SUV early Monday, and deputies are asking the public to help identify him.
Surveillance video shows the 4:52 a.m. blast shattering the windows of the suspect’s red 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer and launching the sunroof onto the hood. The suspect crawled out the driver’s side window, briefly tried to extinguish the flames, then sped away with the gas hose still attached. Deputies found the SUV fully engulfed in flames at 28th Avenue and S. Pierce Road.
According to the Spokane Valley Fire Fighters a 55-gallon drum, two semi-truck saddle tanks, a fuel pump, and hoses inside the vehicle.
Investigators believe the suspect made an earlier visit around midnight without incident before returning at 4:00 a.m. to fill multiple gas drums from the station’s inground tank — triggering the explosion roughly an hour later.
No burn patients were reported at local hospitals. The suspect is described as a white male, 5’10” to 6′, with brown hair, possibly balding, wearing black pants and a black jacket.
Crime Check at 509-456-2233, reference #10081036.
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