Why in the World Is Grease Theft on the Rise in Connecticut?

Grease may be the word, but this is totally weird.

Reality. People will steal anything. There is a market for most anything. Turns out, even grease.

In a story from WTNH.com, charges are being filed against two New York men accused of stealing a whole lot of grease. Police in Orange, CT say Charles Green and Jahquay Rowe were caught on September 12 with a box truck behind an Outback Steakhouse that wasn't open yet. Police say the two pulled up to a used oil storage container behind the restaurant with a box truck, and drained the oil into their truck.

As I dug deeper, I found an article on ConnecticutNews12.com from August 23 about a different grease theft elsewhere in Connecticut. This time, it was three guys from New York pilfering from a Dairy Queen in Norwalk, according to the report. John Ioannidis, the owner of the place, said when he arrived to open up he saw three men with a truck, a generator and a hose trying to suck oil out of the vat where the business's used cooked oil is kept. Ioannidis said it's happened to him before, as well as to other places near him.

Back to my, "people will steal anything and there's a market for most anything," comment. Turns out that the used grease can be sold to recycling plants, where it can be used as biodiesel fuel. And that, my friends, is a payday.

Listen to Pam Brooks weekdays from 10-3PM on 95.1 FM, online at i95rock.com/listen-live/ or by downloading the radioPup app for your mobile device.