Police said a Highland Park woman helped crack a mystery about a rash of recent gasoline thefts involving the cutting of expensive gas lines.
Thomas Bouch was arrested after Bridgitte Brody told of looking out a window of her house last Thursday and seeing a white male standing by a 24-seat van at Tennessee Temple University.
She said the man had a rubber tube near the gas tank. The tube was running to a gas can.
Ms. Brody said she walked over to the man and asked if he was siphoning gas. She said he replied, "No, ma'am." Then he grabbed his gas can, jumped into a blue/green Ford Ranger, and drove off.
She wrote down the tag number and called police.
Police were able to use the tag number to call up a photo of Bouch. Ms. Brody was shown the photo and she identified Bouch.
Dennis Clark of Tennessee Temple said a gas line had been cut on the van and about two gallons of gasoline were stolen.