Police: Man Illegally Filled Drums With Gasoline

A Brooklyn, NY, man was arrested Monday morning for putting gasoline in containers not approved for that purpose by the state, police said.

Police were called to L&M Sunoco at 128 Connecticut Ave. where they reportedly found the man had arrived in a Ford Explorer towing a U-Haul trailer containing eight 55-gallon plastic drums.

Police spokeswoman Sgt. Lisa Cotto said officers reported six of the drums were filled with gasoline, one was partially filled and one was empty. The port hole on each drum was plugged with a plastic cap.

The Fire Department, State Police and the state Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection were called to the seen.

Cotto said firefighters used a meter to test the interior of the trailer and found it contained explosive gasoline fumes.

Cotto said officers found the trailer did not have a placard on it indicating it was carrying gasoline. Also, the wiring from the Explorer to the trailer for the tail lights and directional signals ran through the trailer’s interior. In the event the wiring caused a spark, the gasoline in the trailer potentially could have exploded, she said.

The driver, later identified as Simcha Rosenfeld, paid $1,200 for the gasoline, Cotto said.

Rosenfeld, 34, of 5701 15th St., was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and violation of flammable and combustible liquid regulations.

Reckless endangerment is a Class A misdemeanor and applies to a person who, “with extreme indifference to human life, recklessly engages in conduct which creates a risk of serious physical injury to another person.”

As for the second charge, the state’s Commissioner of Public Safety is required to make and enforce regulations concerning the safe storage, use and transportation of flammable or combustible liquids, and incorporate them into the state’s Fire Protection Code.