A local program that gives rides to senior citizens and disabled people gets hit by high gas prices, and repeated gas thefts. For months, thieves have stolen gas right out of the parking lot of the program run by the North of the River Park District.

"We've had weeks where it's occurred two or three times a week," program manager Joe West told Eyewitness News. "My staff tells me it was occurring last year, and it's just gotten worse this year with the high gas prices."

He runs the Consolidated Transportation Services Agency (CETA). They help 4,000 senior citizens get where they need to go, running 16 vans -- some with wheelchair lifts.

But, you have to have gas in the tank to run the vans -- and many nights, the gas disappears.

"When the staff comes in in the morning, and discovers that they're low on fuel or the vehicle has been damaged -- now the clients are all set up for rides ahead of time. So, now we have to scramble -- reassign calls," says West.

They run the program from an office in Oildale, and they park the vans in a lot behind the office. West showed us spots of gas on the parking lot -- places where vans have been vandalized to steal fuel from their tanks.

West says they've tried to make the vans theft-proof. But without much luck.

Seniors and the disabled can call and get rides -- door-to-door. The program runs Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. till 5:30 p.m. The riders pay $2 each way, the district gets the rest of their funds from taxes.

Gas is getting more expensive to fuel up the vans in the first place. Then losing gas adds cost, and West says sometimes there's also damage to the vehicles.

"If i have to spend $400 or $500 on repairs for this a month, it really bites into what it costs to operate this," says West.

The district stepped up security, and so did the Sheriff's Department. Deputies did arrest two suspects spotted stealing gas late at night at the facility.

Eyewitness News called the Sheriff's Department to find out how much gas theft they're seeing in general. Detectives say it's definitely up -- thanks to the high gas prices.

Anyone can help protect against this by parking in the garage, or a well-lit area -- and car security systems can help, too.

West says the district may put up a fence around the parking lot at the CETA facility in Oildale. But, he worries gas-theft will continue to be a problem.

"We had our senior adult center, where we used to park vehicles-- and they got hit," says West. "So we moved them to our district office, and now they're being vandalized. So, it's a costly -- very costly problem."