Two men have been arrested in connection with the theft of approximately 2,000 pounds of peaches from a farm in Tulare County, California. Francisco Lopez, 54, and Josue Vargas, 46, were taken into custody by Fresno County Sheriff's detectives assigned to the Agricultural Crimes Task Force on suspicion of felony grand theft of farm crops.
The arrests followed an investigation into a string of stone fruit thefts occurring in Fresno and Tulare counties. A break in the case occurred Monday night when a deputy stopped a pickup truck pulling a trailer matching the description of a vehicle tied to the thefts.
Inside the trailer, authorities discovered crates filled with roughly 2,000 pounds of Pink Moon Peaches, with an estimated value of $8,500. Detectives determined the peaches had been stolen from a farm in Tulare County.
IMAGE1:
Lopez was arrested on Monday night and his bail was set at $10,000. Vargas' bail was set at $50,000 due to additional DUI-related warrants. A third individual in the truck, Jesus Chacon, 56, was also arrested on outstanding warrants for drug possession and battery.
The Tulare County Sheriff's Office is expected to pursue additional charges against Lopez and Vargas as the alleged theft occurred within its jurisdiction.
The Fresno County Sheriff's Office has offered recommendations to growers to enhance security, including installing cameras near entrances and loading areas, using trail cameras in remote orchards, improving lighting, and avoiding leaving harvested bins in fields overnight. Officials also advised trimming vegetation around gates to eliminate hiding spots and securing loaded trailers when possible. Marking bins with permanent farm identifiers was also suggested.