A New Jersey man has been charged with stealing used cooking oil from a closed business on Route 443 in Lehighton.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by patrolman Jason Pryce of the Lehighton Borough Police Department in the case against Eric Marrero, 34 of Carteret:

Pryce was patrolling at 2:10 a.m. Feb. 21 when he saw a white transit van backed up to the dumpster at Sapore’s Restaurant.

Pryce pulled into the parking lot, and the back door of the van shut and he saw the man identified as Marerro come out with fresh cooking oil grease on his sweatshirt and on his rubber boots.

Marrero said he was testing the oil so he could tell if it was good oil so he could come back in the morning, and ask to buy the oil from the business for his own business. He said his business was “renewable resources” out of New Jersey.

Pryce walked back to the oil container and noticed that the metal grate that is supposed to be on the oil container was pulled off and the lock was cut.

There was oil in the snow leading from the oil tank to the back doors of Marrero’s van.

Pryce asked Marrero if he could open the van and show him what was in the back. Marrero voluntarily opened the back of the van. There was a 300-gallon water buffalo with sections of green hose hooked up to the tank, a black and red generator/pump, and a pair of orange gloves that were full of cooking oil. The engine components of the generator/pump were hot, almost unable to be touched.

The end of the green hose had fresh cooking oil on it.

There was snow on the back bumper and inside the vehicle as if someone had gotten into the back of the van after stepping in the snow.

When Marrero was asked where else he was going, he stated to a couple places close by that he usually goes to and then he transports the oil to New Jersey and sells it to a third party. He would not provide information about the third party.

Marrero’s criminal history was reviewed, and after speaking with Stroud Area Regional Police Department, Marrero was involved in a cooking oil theft in September.

Marrero faces charges of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, possess instrument of crime, loitering and prowling at night time, criminal trespass and criminal mischief.

His bail has been set at $75,000, 10%, and he is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing March 5 before District Judge Eric M. Schrantz of Jim Thorpe.