Chain of Events Ends in Arrest of One Man, Burns to Another Man Syphoning Gas

Eugene Police Department

On April 5 at 5:45 a.m. Eugene Police officers responded to the U-Haul at 150 Oroyan Avenue for report of several U-Haul trucks on fire. Eugene Springfield Fire also responded to the scene to address the fires. Three to four vehicles were engulfed in the fire.

Officers obtained information that an unknown male had been syphoning gas from between U-Haul trucks. Separately from the incident with the man syphoning gas, a man later identified as Dylan Thomas Hannah, age 28, of Eugene and woman in her 30s were near the front doors and appeared to be in a verbal dispute. Hannah was inside his vehicle and the woman was standing outside the vehicle.

Officers found that Hannah had thrown a lit and exploding firework toward the woman as she ran for cover. The firework exploded, sending burning pieces under the U-Haul truck, right at the unsuspecting gas thief. This caused the gas to ignite and light the vehicles on fire, including the man syphoning the gas. The unknown gas syphoning suspect was then observed running from the location, on fire toward River Rd.

Officers followed up and contacted Hannah at his residence, recovering a second firework. He was charged with Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, Reckless Burning and Recklessly Endangering.