Crime & Safety

Police: 2 Men Stole Hundreds of Gallons of Cooking Oil from Business

Two Elizabeth men were previously charged with similar thefts in Mount Olive, Watchung and Roxbury

Two men from Elizabeth were charged with the alleged theft of used cooking oil from a business, police said.

Willie Renta, 26 and Roberto Vazquez, Jr., 31, were arrested following a lengthy investigation of several hundred gallons of used cooking oil that had been stolen from storage containers located in the Beach Plaza.

Darling International Inc., a company that removes and recycles used cooking oils from food service establishments nationwide, reported the theft at 11:30 a.m. May 4. The containers were stored behind Vesuvio’s pizzeria and the Yummy Yummy Chinese restaurant.

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The stolen used oil was valued at $998.55, police said.

Renta and Vazquez worked for Swift Oil Recovery Co. at the time of the incident. Both men were previously arrested and charged with the same offenses by Mount Olive, Watchung and Roxbury police pepartments while employed by Swift Oil Recovery.

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Renta and Vazquez responded to Lacey Police on July 24. They were charged with theft of movable property, a third degree offense, and released on a summons.


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