Welcome to Farm Watch
May 22 – June 18, 2011 Edition
Courtesy Capt. Monica McGrath
Hello everyone and welcome to our Farm Watch for this May/June edition. Current crime trends indicate our level of thefts (larcenies) continue to climb, however, total crime for this period is actually down as compared to this same period last year. The current and most popular trend these days seems to be thefts of metals (all types) for the purpose of selling it to local and some times LA area recycling venues. I have been told the “going rate” for scrap metal at this time is $500 per ton!! Storage Container burglaries continue to be an issue, however, those thefts are literally all over the county. We are tracking them diligently. Also, please note the media release from Thousand Oaks PD reference our burglar that was arrested for numerous vehicle burglaries from vehicles parked at trail heads all over the county. Nice detective work!
Specific Crime Issues of Note for this edition:
• Diesel Fuel Theft Update: In the last Farm Watch I indicated the theft of diesel fuel on ranches. Since then, Santa Barbara County Sheriff's deputies caught 2 male suspects (brothers) stealing 90 gallons of red dye diesel fuel. It was stored in a black plastic unapproved container in the back of their truck. They also had an electrical pump with hoses. The suspects are from Nipomo, however they are very organized and would not hesitate to hit our county. They drove an orange Isuzo Amigo SUV. (Pictures attached) They were dressed in black and had small flashlights with them. Let us know if you have seen this vehicle around your ranches as well.
• Camarillo / Oxnard Plains Tool Thefts:
Dewalt chop saw taken from an unlocked barn on Pancho Rd, then during the same time frame a locked utility truck parked on the 600 block of Cawelti Rd. was broken into where several wrenches, air impact tools, ratchets, grinders, and other miscellaneous tools were stolen. Both thefts occurred over the Memorial Day weekend. Continue to mark your specific equipment with an engraver for better identification.
• Scrap Metal Thefts:
4 TONS of scrap metal were stolen in the county area south of Camarillo near Malibu. The victim had three areas on his 20 acre property where he stored miscellaneous metal parts such as: nuts, bolts, vehicle parts, tire rims, metal excavation buckets, an old 1000 lb. antique welder, and 2 WWII all metal trailers.
• South Mountain Road thefts of Irrigation Pumps:
There were at least 2 instances of thefts of irrigation pumps off S.Mountain Road. The suspects sawed through the PVC pipes connectors and took the pumps. The thefts were in the middle of citrus orchards.
• Sexton Canyon Theft: Bobcat Tractor:
In Mid-June a bobcat tractor was parked on the side of the road on Sexton Canyon and within a day and a half, the tractor was gone! Tracks in the dirt indicate it was loaded onto a trailer of some type.
Continue to be diligent in reporting suspicious activity as your efforts truly assist us in catching theses suspects.
Contacts:
• Fillmore Detective Darin Hendren darin.hendrin@ventura.org or 524-2235
• Ventura Detective Christine Rettura Christine.rettura@ventura.org 662-6770
• Agricultural Crimes Detective, Ray Dominguez at Ray.Dominguez@ventura.org
Once again, I would like to thank Sheriff’s Crime Analyst Karen Brown who puts together your maps and digests all the crime data so we can effectively catch and prosecute these criminals.
Be alert and always safe!