Hundreds of gallons of fuel stolen from North Carolina gas station

 As Americans have been facing high gas prices, nearly 400 gallons of gas were stolen from a North Carolina gas station on Monday.

The theft occurred Monday night in High Point, North Carolina after the Bizzy Bee Grocery and BP gas station had closed.

WXII 12 reported that owner Hardik Patel said that store keeps the fuel pumps on after closing for the evening. Patel noted that about 398 gallons were stolen. He told Fox 8 WGHP that the pumps will now be turned off at night so he will not "go through this again."

Reports indicate that the payment system was circumvented, allowing the gas to flow. Surveillance footage showed someone appear to utilize a device to circumvent the payment system, Patel said, according to CNN — multiple cars came and stole the fuel.

"It wasn't free, they were stealing," Patel told CNN.

Drivers have been feeling pain at the pump as gas prices, which were already high, have recently risen even higher. As of Thursday, the AAA national average for a gallon of regular gas is $4.289. 

Last week, President Joe Biden issued an executive order banning the importation of crude oil and other products into the U.S. from Russia. 

A Trafalgar Group poll of likely general election voters that was conducted earlier this month found that a whopping 77.3% think that in the wake of Russia's incursion into Ukraine, Biden should make boosting U.S. energy production a priority.

If high gas prices persist, they could prove to be a signifiant liability for Democrats heading into the 2022 midterm elections later this year. Not only do high gas prices hurt drivers, they could also lead to higher prices for a variety of goods as rising fuel costs drive up the cost of transporting items.