Welcome to Farm Watch! You are one of our 500 rural and agricultural partners linked together, preventing crime and maintaining safe farming, ranching and nursery communities.

Lets get started. This was an exciting three weeks for new members. We just added 15 farms and nurseries to our group.

Can you believe May is already here.

Woof Woof:

Every day I leave for work from my farm at about 6:00 in the morning. Our Lab-Shepard Mutt is always waiting on the porch, ready to be petted, but sleepy after a long night of chasing raccoons, coyotes and the occasional orchard bear (Another story).

A Farm Watch Member on Bradley Road in Somis has a more dramatic story of his farm dog which recently saved his family’s life.

Last month, a gang member went on a rampage and car jacked a driver at gunpoint on Bradley Road. The suspect set up a make shift roadblock to steal the car.

After a large dragnet by Sheriffs and CHP he was quickly caught on a nearby farm.

In the past, we talked about the extraordinary help that a local farm worker contributed in leading to a suspect’s capture.

What we did not expand on was the fact that it was a Farm Watch member’s dog, which attempted to stop or dissuade the armed suspect. During the encounter, the farm dog was shot. In piecing the scenario together it appears the dog interrupted the armed assailant as he hopped a fence and entered the ranch area.

The family was sound to sleep. The suspect proved he could easily have assaulted the family had the dog not protected them. We have seen this situation numerous times in the past and it really lends credence to “a dog really is our best friend.” Our hero, has now fully recovered from the life threatening wounds. On his farm, he is king. Any biscuits for our hero Farm Watch K-9 can be dropped off at the Fillmore Sheriff/Police Station, 524 Sespe Avenue, Fillmore.

Avocados:

We are in our prime 87 million dollar harvest season in Ventura County. A local farmer on Sycamore Road in the Santa Clara Valley recently discovered that crooks are trying to put a dent in this economy by using picking bags and stashing them laden along the tree rows. A similar incident just occurred on the 11900 block of Broadway in Moorpark.

We know from recent arrests and interrogations that the suspects often prefer to drive small older model cars that blend in with legitimate picker vehicles. They first “case out” the farm or ranch to see if legitimate farm workers challenge them. They return later and size-pick, leaving the loot hidden under trees for a quick departure. These thieves have been also stealing picking ladders from the Santa Paula area.

A typical crew of four can make a clean sweep of a $1,000 worth in avocados and citrus in less than an hour.

Crooked Palm:

Farmers in the Ventura River- Casitas area know this street well. Named after the historic bent palm located at the old refinery, Crooked Palm is remote and seldom visited. Recently, some bad guys took advantage of this and stole eight, 600-pound electric motors from the property. The test is for you: What element do they want out of the 6 motors that they are willing to go to prison for a year? Hint, fill in the blanks for the answer C_P_E_. Did you get it? Precious metals are still a big factor and recycle thefts continue to occur.

Santa Paula:

A local rural residence had a bold burglary over night where suspects cut locks and broke into a garage and stole a Greyco Spray Rig, Dewalt Air Compressor and 5 Dewalt reciprocating saws. Look for those on Craigs List.

Matillija Window Smashes.

Visitors to the Forest are reporting car windows smashed in at trailheads and property stolen out of the cars. Remember, if you put your belongings in the trunk, you’ll have your property when you get back from hiking. Remember this for all rural areas when you park your vehicle for periods of time.

Tell your employees.

Laguna Road Burglar:

The Oxnard Plains has some of the most fertile top-soil in the nation. It is also fertile for Ag-theft. Recently a farm on Laguna Road had a large-scale burglary where some night time crooks cut gates and many locks to get inside of four chemical sheds.

They stole 4 containers of pesticide. It appears that some groups of thieves are outfitting entire farming operations with stolen equipment and supplies.

Injured Deputies:

On April 17th, while on gang patrol, two decorated veteran deputies were critically injured in a head on car crash on Highway 126 at Willard Road. Two passengers in the car that hit them were also seriously injured. It was touch and go. Senior Deputy Bill Meixner and Deputy Beau Rodriguez are now recovering from their life threatening critical injuries. Both have positive attitudes.

The deputies families were inundated by cards, food and support from Farm Watch members. Their wives wanted us to thank all of you for your help during this difficult recovery. Our thoughts extend out with the two other injured persons.

Chelate Burglar:

Farmers in the 1200 block of South Las Posas near Calweti had a rude discovery when they started their day. It appears that overnight suspects broke into the farm, using bolt cutters to break-in and stole 500 pounds of fertilizer, iron chelate, roundup and a pressure washer. We need your help catching this ring. Your farm can be next.

Lets start by trying to identify the end user? Give Ag-Detective Ray Dominguez and email with any tips. Ray.Dominguez@ventura.org

Farm-Side Scuffle:

Since our last newsletter, we have seen two reported fistfights between farm workers. Make sure your foreman’s hang out while your employees leave the farm at the end of the day. Tension can rise that you’re unaware of.

Stereo Thefts:

There are reported thefts of stereos out of farm worker cars parked along row crop type farms. In the last two weeks, this has occurred on both Central and Laguna. A tense situation occurred at Balcom and 118 when a male suspect cased out a row crop production using the act of asking a foreman in the field for a job.

Once denied, he started what he really came for and ransacked worker’s parked cars.

The Spanish-Speaking employees did not hesitate to call 911.

The foot chase and search was on. Deputies, farm workers, CHP and a Sheriff’s Helicopter scoured the area. You “can run, but not hide,” and they located and arrested 21 year-old Victor Rodriguez-Morales. Victor will now have plenty of work to do at the Todd Road Jail.

A special thanks to the Farm Bureau, Ventura County Ag Association, Ag Commissioner and Mexico Consulate for supporting our Sheriff’s rural crime prevention program.

Diesel Bandit:

A Farm Watch member on Stockton Road in the North Las Posas Valley just had over 400 gallons of diesel stolen in broad daylight. The suspect gained access through a gated area of the farm and brazenly used his own equipment to pump diesel into his truck pony tanks. Detectives have recovered some important evidence and narrowed the suspect information down. They are confident that the suspect was driving a White, Dodge, full-size pick up truck with diesel pony tanks in the back. The truck has a rotating amber type light on top of the cab.

Help our Moorpark Detectives and email any similar vehicle or suspect tips to Sergeant John.Reilly@ventura.org

Side Note: An expensive horse blanket was also just stolen down the street on Stockton Road.

Santa Paula Farm Theft Suspect:

You may recall a theft we reported about two months ago on a Santa Paula farm where a suspect broke into a small cottage on an avocado ranch. If not, in a nut-shell, the suspect had all the loot ready to go and quickly left it all behind. It seemed quirky that he left so many valuables behind. Deputy Beau Rodriguez (mentioned above in car accident) responded and was the investigator. As usual, he did an incredible job finding microscopic evidence inside the cottage.

Without giving up some of our CSI secrets, Beau submitted the evidence to the lab. It came back positive three weeks ago and Detective Darin Hendrin and Detective Albert Ramirez had a suspect. After a lengthy investigation, they arrested 20 year-old Richard Olney for burglary. Olney confessed during his interrogation. What was instrumental, is we learned that he decided to leave it all behind when he observed contract farm workers picking fruit on the near by trees. Chalk one up again for farm workers!

It has been a busy three weeks in rural life Ventura County, we even had a small plane crash in a row crop field on 118 near Hitch. Most importantly is that we all work together to keep our community safe. Continue to educate your farm, ranch, nursery employees and family to be pro-active in calling 911.

In Ventura County, if you call for the Sheriff, we will be there……

Be Safe Farm Watch……

Remember if you need help, call 911. For general rural crime information or Farm Watch E- Chat..... email us direct at tim.hagel@ventura.org

Your friend,

Tim