Alleged propane tank thief arrested after stealing over 15 units

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - An arrest has been made in connection to stolen propane tanks around Mobile. Brady Frazier Jr. was arrested Tuesday, March 5 after police said he stole over 15 propane tanks from area businesses.

Shawn Huntington, the assistant manager at Home Depot, said he knows it’s just in time for peak propane season. He’s gearing up for many you to start filling up your propane tanks.

"Usually right around memorial day till right around the end of July is basically our peak season. So we usually get four maybe up to five fill ups a week,” Huntington said.

But filling them up would be hard to do if someone broke in and stole all 150 tanks.

Huntington said, "It would be very difficult. You basically have to cut it with a grinder and it would definitely take some time."

The Mobile police have conducted a city-wide investigation, however, Levy said this has also been happening around the nation.

He said it's not just any propane tank that's being stolen...just the full ones.

“We are just trying to figure out where the propane tanks are going. And the thing about them is that most of them are full. They are not just taking empty ones from the side of the road or from people's residence...but they're going to business places and taking full propane tanks,” Levy said.

The investigation, which has been ongoing since late last year led to the arrest of Frazier. But Corporal Levy said the motive is still unknown.

“They serve a number of purposes. You can sell the fuel, sell the scrap, or just turn around and sell the whole tank,” he said.

For that reason, Levy said it's important for the Police Department to move quickly when it comes to finding out who is to blame.

“It's important that we move quickly on it when we get these reports because it doesn't take a lot of time for them disappear and go away. So you have a really small opportunity to catch them when they steal them,” he said.

Frazier is charged with two counts of second degree theft of property, third degree criminal mischief and obstructing justice using a false identity.

Frazier has been arrested 10 times since 2006.