VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Rajesh Sriraman of Virginia Beach is dealing with a different kind of gas-related gripe.
"I was obviously first shocked," Sriraman said.
When he stepped into his Chevy Suburban earlier this week, he noticed his gas tank basically dried up.
"It shouldn't have gone from a full tank to an empty tank in one night," he said. "Oh, it was empty."
His SUV is parked far away from the Ring doorbell camera. He suspects a thief siphoned gas out of the tank.
Now, he is warning others that they could also fall victim.
Sriraman lives in the Broad Bay Point Greens neighborhood off Great Neck Road.
However, as soon as he posted his story on the community app Nextdoor, he learned of about a dozen other victims with similar stories from all over Virginia Beach.
"I was a little surprised that this has happened to plenty of other people," said Sriraman.
He told 13News Now he is now filling up his car only a quarter of the way each time, just in case.
And in times when gas is costing everyone a pretty penny, Sriraman hopes this ugly situation can be a lesson to others.
"You just have to be vigilant, be careful. Don't leave valuables in the car. Keep the car in a well-lit area," he added.
Sriraman also said the situation led him to buy new surveillance cameras and motion sensor spotlights.
Virginia Beach Police Department could only confirm one reported gas-siphoning case to 13News Now, according to a spokesperson.