A 22-year-old Paso Robles man has been arrested for allegedly breaking into a Playa del Rey gas storage facility and causing a gas leak on Monday. [ABC7]
Shortly after midnight, James Viramontez Cogley allegedly entered the SoCal Gas storage facility and climbed into a commercial truck. He then drove the truck over a protective lid which caused a valve to rupture and a release of natural gas.
FBI officials, Los Angeles police, fire crews and the bomb squad responded to the scene, shutting the gas off around 3:50 a.m. Investigators found Cogley at a hospital where he was being treated for injuries consistent with being involved in multiple traffic collisions. Evidence at the scene also linked Cogley to the break-in.
Officers arrested Cogley on charges of grand theft auto, felony vandalism and attempted arson with bail set at $100,000.
