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Surveillance footage shows a man allegedly stealing gasoline and then trying to run over gas station employees with his vehicle. (Photo: Ontario Provincial Police)

Police are on the hunt for a man they say stole gasoline from a service station in eastern Ontario before trying to catch several employees as they fled the scene in a minivan Thursday afternoon.

The afternoon theft in Embrun, a small town about 45 kilometers southeast of Ottawa, marked the fourth time the same man stole gas in a similar manner in the past two weeks, Ontario Provincial Police said Friday.

Police said service station workers who tried to confront the culprit told them that the man “deliberately drove towards them with his vehicle” after filling up with fuel around 2.15pm and not paying for it.

The man was described as older, with gray hair, glasses and wearing a black jacket, jeans and brown boots.

The vehicle in question is a silver Dodge Caravan with no front license plate, large dents on the passenger side, and Ontario dealer license plate 093 DSV on the rear of the van.

Police said the license plate had previously been reported missing to the Ministry of Transportation.

Anyone with information is asked to call Russell County OPP at 613-443-4499, the OPP Communications Center at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Image of the man accused of stealing gasoline from a service station near Ottawa on Thursday. (Photo: OPP)

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