SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Amber Nelson says she smelled gas under her car at her home, but that was only the beginning.
"Then I backed up and saw some gas dripping. Then I looked underneath and saw this contraption," says Nelson, who lives in Carlsbad.
It was a homemade tube she says was drilled into her gas tank. Someone was stealing gas from right out underneath her.
"I was scared because I thought something happened to the car. I know my vehicle well enough to know things are not sticking out from underneath," she added.
Nelson says as soon as she discovered the device, she called the police and they showed up right away. But after filing a police report, officers told her there was nothing they could do.
"They were puzzled. Everyone was puzzled. What is it? They finally pulled it out to see what it was. It was taped with electrical tape," Nelson says.
She couldn't figure out why she had to fill up her tank every three days, even though her commute to work is only 10 minutes. She says after discovering the makeshift device, it finally made sense.
By sharing her experience, Nelson hopes to help others in her shoes.
"I want people to be aware this is happening," she added.
