Two New Orleans men arrested when they returned to the scene of a crime at a Chalmette restaurant where earlier that day they stole 150 gallons of used cooking oil

Jason Allen, booked in Chalmette with theft of used cooking oil

Gregory Blanton, booked in Chalmette with theft of used cooking oil

Two New Orleans men apparently couldn’t resist returning to the scene of a crime at a Chalmette restaurant where earlier that day they stole 150 gallons of used cooking oil worth about $90, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Gregory Blanton, 43, and Jason Allen, 30, were booked with theft, criminal trespassing and criminal damage about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21 in connection with a theft at the restaurant earlier that morning, the sheriff said. They were also booked with attempted theft for the incident at the same place Thursday night.

Dep. Sheriff Skyler Rauch, while on patrol, saw them backing into the rear parking lot of a restaurant in a truck matching the description of one seen on a video surveillance system in a theft of cooking oil about 4:15 a.m, that day at the same restaurant.

He saw them Thursday night get out, grab tools from the truck bed that also had a pump and two containers, then they quickly got back into their vehicle and drove away. When the deputy stopped them their hands were covered in an oily, greasy-like substance.

Based on comments they made afterward, they may have stolen used cooking oil at two other St. Bernard businesses the same night, the sheriff said.

Used cooking oil, which can be recycled for other purposes, is worth about 60 cents a gallon.

The owner of the restaurant where they were seen on video stealing used cooking oil early Aug. 21 came to the scene that night and identified their vehicle and the men as the subjects seen in the video.

Both Blanton and Allen are being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of bond set at $25,000 each.