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Slippery Suspects: 2 Men Busted Stealing Grease From CT Restaurant, Police Say

Connecticut State Police arrested two men this week after they tried to steal hundreds of gallons of used grease from restaurants, authorities said. 

Carlos Alberto Salas, left, and Joan Mendez-Martinez

Carlos Alberto Salas, left, and Joan Mendez-Martinez

Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Carlos Alberto Salas, age 46, and Joan Mendez-Martinez, age 26, both of the Bronx, New York, are facing several charges stemming from the alleged lube job, State Police said. 

Troopers in Litchfield County were called to a business park in Kent off Route 7 around 2:45 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 23, after an alarm at a restaurant went off. As they pulled into the scene, a white van was pulling out. 

Troopers stopped the van and found Salas and Mendez-Martinez and two 250-gallon drums that were a third full of used cooking oil inside, State Police said. 

Salas said he'd been hired to drive the van and wait while Mendez-Martinez went inside restaurants and cleaned the kitchens, authorities said. Mendez-Martinez had a list of 10 area eateries on his phone. 

Mendez-Martinez said he was hired by a company out of New York City, but neither could provide documentation to have the grease, authorities said. Troopers went to the restaurant, where the alarm had sounded, and found a grease bin with the seal broken and fresh drippings on the ground. 

Police charged both men with second-degree burglary, third-degree criminal mischief, and theft in the sixth degree, authorities said. A judge set their bond at $5,000, and officials seized the van as evidence. 

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