Teen accused of stealing gas from cars - WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |

Eau Claire (WXOW) - An Eau Claire teen will be in court Thursday for a series of alleged crimes including drilling holes in vehicle gas tanks to steal gas.

Police say Gerald Obernberger of Bloomer admitted to stealing gas that way at least four-to-five times. He told police in one case, the owner of a vehicle got in and drove off while the gas was still draining into a gas can, which was run over in the process.

Obernberger is also accused of stealing nearly $3,000 worth of lawn equipment and other items from storage sheds at Chippewa Falls Senior High and Hillcrest Elementary.

And he's charged with arming himself with a pistol and burglarizing a Lake Wissota convenience store. In that case the glass door was smashed with a baseball bat and two suspects fled with up to $900 worth of cigarettes.