First of all once again, a warm welcome to our newest 7 members this edition of Farm Watch. We have included you to our interactive community of public safety, farmers, ranchers, packing houses, nurseries and suppliers. A Farm Watch promise: You will never get spammed or inundated with emails.

I was so excited to write about the following "Farm Watch" caper. I thought hard for a subtitle. So here it goes.

What Does a Golf cart, two Turkeys and a Farmers trailer all have in common?

The answer is "Farm Watch." As you recall, our Ag Crimes Detectives and deputies search "Craigslist" and other media outlets looking for stolen fruit and stolen agriculture equipment being traded. Remember, it doesn't mean that every farm implement on Craigslist is stolen, just buyer beware. Do your homework. When in doubt, remember....If it appears too good to be true, it likely is..

Trailer:
About 2 weeks ago we came across and online add in Craigslist. It was posted by a Santa Paula farmer who had his ranch Ag-trailer stolen off his property. He included the license plate and D.M.V vehicle identification information (VIN).

We contacted the farmer through "Craigslist" and found out he hadn't reported it stolen. We immediately sent a deputy to conduct a C.S.I investigation at the farm. We put the word out to other rural deputies in the area.

Golf Cart:
Unrelated (at the time) and a week later, Deputies Russ Grant and Brian Hackworth were sent to the Mountain View Golf Course to take a report of a stolen golf cart. They determined that an unknown suspect used bolt cutters to get through a security system and load a cart into a white full size pick up truck. Remember last month we were looking for this same suspect truck in other Ventura County farm burglaries.

Turkeys:
Who steals turkeys?
First clue, trailer and golf cart thieves.

Deputy Gabe Viesca was searching the Santa Clara Valley for two stolen turkeys. They had been taken from a local ranch in early December. Gabe had put the word out to other deputies including Deputy Chris Cadman.

Okay, you kind of have the background picture. Now fast forward. Deputy Leo Vasquez loves tractors. He collects and fixes up old tractors. Leo has a great pulse on crime and community connections in the county. on December 17th, Leo led deputies to a farm on Highway 126, just west of the City of Fillmore. Citizens had been reporting suspicious activity at the farm. Once they arrived, they found the stolen golf cart, trailer and yeah you got it, the two stolen turkeys (safe and sound). 43 year old Suspect Mariano Hernandez was arrested on scene for possession of the stolen property. If you have had property stolen in the last year and conducted business with Mariano or his 18 year old son Alex Jimenez please contact Detective Gus Macias at 805-524-2233

Everyone was happy with the results of this Farm Watch "Crimestopper." Your Ag-Deputies wanted me to remind you to always remember to be careful when doing business on Craigslist and most of all mark your equipment with a simple engraver. Etch in the letters CDL followed with your drivers license number. Every cop in the state will be able to identify the equipment if suspected stolen.

Gun Theft:
We have seen an increase in gun thefts. On December 6th, a thief broke into a ranch truck in the 15700 Block of Santa Paula Street in Santa Paula. The thief took a 22 caliber rifle. Remember to secure those guns back in a safe at your house when you are off the daily activity of the ranch or farm.

Vandals:
We are still getting hit heavy with graffiti in the Cummings Road, Briggs and Old Telegraph farm lands. Keep the calls coming. Deputies Torres and Theobold need your tips.

Upper Ojai:
We have a farm burglar working the Upper Ojai area. They used a crowbar and just tried to break into a barn on the 8000 block of Sulphur Mountain Road. A burglar alarm was activated and the thief got away with nothing.

Possibly the same burglar broke into a ranch on Koenigstein Road. They used bolt cutters, cut locks and stole property out of the ranch shed. After that they tried to steal items out of the vehicles on the ranch. Keep an eye out for anyone selling a used Husky Toolbox with equipment inside.

Las Posas Valley:
12000 Block Stockton Road. Horse ranch: An unknown suspect cut the locks off and took a welder, jack hammer and chain saw. Keep your eyes open for our farm watch member, lets help him get back his property.

10800 Block Broadway: Horse Ranch: A burglar broke into the ranch shed and stole an air compressor, 2 saddles a roto tiller and a chop saw.

Grand Road:
Farm Watch members are reporting a lot of illegal dumping along their farm belt. Make sure you call us on 911 if you see suspicious trucks loaded with debris or rubbish. They will often make a few passes by the area first. get a license plate number when safe.

Fire Safe Council:
We would like to thank the Ventura County Fire Safe Council for their work with the Sheriff's Farm Watch. Not only are they an extra eyes out there for farm watch, they are leading the way to a comprehensive fire safe agriculture community. The Council is a mixture of ranchers, farmers, Community groups and local County and City Fire Departments. Their next meeting will be on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 4:30 pm, in the City Manager’s Conference Room at Santa Paula City Hall.

Avocados:
It's Hass picking season. We have noticed more reports of select picking by thieves taking a few bags of fruit at a time. They are hitting the Santa Rosa area. It is important for you to call us when this happens. The Sheriff wants us to intercede and stop these thieves. They will take a bag at a time and try to sell to local markets and restaurants. There is no such thing a a minor theft. Believe us, they will steal your fruit over and over until together, we stop them.

Be safe Farm Watch, and have a great holiday season.....

Your friend,
Tim