Two Worcester men were detained early Wednesday morning after police saw them reportedly taking used cooking oil from restaurants in Auburn Plaza.
Auburn Police came to the plaza at about 5:37 a.m. on Oct. 28 after a TJ Maxx employee reported two people stealing used cooking oil from a dumpster behind Jasmine Restaurant.
The suspects’ van had departed the scene before authorities arrived.
Officers discovered a suspicious van shortly after behind Chilli’s on Southbridge Street.
Inside the vehicle, there were big canisters for collecting cooking oil, one of which was already partially filled.
Neither establishment gave the individuals permission to gather the oil.
During the enquiry, both people provided investigators with various different names until being identified as Joseph Reyes Rodriguez, 19, of Worcester, and Carlos De Leon, 46, of Worcester.
Further enquiry revealed that De Leon had an active arrest warrant issued by the United States Marshals Service in Virginia.
Reyes Rodriguez and De Leon were both detained and charged with larceny under $1,200, attempted larceny, and conspiracy.
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