Thought I'd seen it all!

Ok guys check this out. I've got a 9.9 Mercury with a 3 gallon fuel tank. I parked it about 3 weeks ago with a full tank. I get up this morning to go fishing so I hook my water hose up to me engine to start it and let it warm up before I get to the lake. I checked my gas tank and it was empty. Someone stole my gas. No biggie, I take my tank to the station and fill it up. Bring it back, hook it up and start pulling the starter rope. I pulled and pulled, nothing. I think its flooded so I let it set for a hour or so. Go back and pull and pull, nothing. So I open the throttle up all the way and pulled the rope. It belched a little smoke. Pulled it again and it started but ran really rough and at a low rpm. It was starved for fuel. So I pulled the cowling and ran the fuel line looking for anything. Guess what I discovered? When whomever stole my gas they pulled the fuel filter off and used the primer bulb to pump it out. I know because they put it back on backwards.(at least they tried to put it back on..lol) So I turned it back around and gave the chord 3 or 4 pulls and bam, fired right up. Has anyone ever heard of a thief doing this in this manner?

Thieves are stupid lol. They made the effort to pump out 3 gal of gas (which costs less than $6 with the price of oil) yet left the tank which is worth at least $20 and could have just grabbed it all together with almost no effort.

Well you see I think it may have been my neighbors teenage son. If he took the tank there would be evidence. I asked his dad if he had seen anyone around my boat and he said no. My gas tank and motor is in the garage now. Fool me once...lol