Two charged in North Port with stealing water from fire hydrant

NORTH PORT, Fla. (WWSB) - Two men were arrested in North Port for allegedly stealing water from a fire hydrant, police say.

North Port Police say members of the department’s Special Enforcement Team were on patrol when they saw two men pumping water from a fire hydrant into a tank on a truck.

The two men, David Lopez Zamada and Yuri Rivero Peraza, were not authorized to access any fire hydrant and did not have the proper tools to do so.

The men pumped about 200 gallons before they were stopped. Police say they caused minor damage to the hydrant and affected water quality to nearby homes.

Zamada and Peraza were arrested and charged with interfering with firefighter equipment and theft of utilities.