Crime & Safety

Fries with That? Thieves Steal KFC Cooking Oil

Two people backed up to a storage container out back, cut two locks and stole about 100 gallons of used cooking oil.

If you don't work in the foodservice industry, it might come as a surprise that the used, darkened and crusty cooking oil restaurants store out back for collection, in some circles, is known as liquid gold.

That explains why two theives jumped out of a box truck behind the KFC at 6758 Post Road on Tuesday night, cut the locks off a storage container and pumped out about 100 gallons of oil.

North Kingstown Police said they were dispatched to KFC two days later after the store manager, identified as Christine Rego, told police that when the normal collection company came that day they found the container was nearly empty.

The company comes every five to six weeks, Rego told police.

A check of security camera footage showed two men in a white box truck pulled into the parking lot and then backed up to the container. They drove off after eight minutes.

Police said the truck is older, "somewhat beat up" with black writing on the passenger side door, according to a police report. 

It was difficult to clearly see the two people who got out of the truck, but police said one appeared average sized with long hair and the other was a heavy-set white male with a goatee.

Police said the amount stolen would have resulted in a payment of about $120 to the business.

Detectives are investigating.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.