Incident Date: 10/18/23

Posted by: Media Relations

Detectives Arrest Three, Recover $100,000 of Farm Equipment

On 10/18/23, TCSO Deputies were called to Bee Sweet Citrus in Seville for a burglary. When they arrived, Deputies learned the suspects stole a fork lift, trailer and several hand tools. At the same time, Deputies took a report of an attempted theft of another forklift at Sun Valley Packing near Kingsburg, where the trailer from Bee Sweet Citrus was found.

A short time later, TCSO Detectives found the forklift at a home in Reedley. Fresno County Deputies and their H.E.A.T team helped TCSO in a search warrant at the property, where the forklift was recovered, along with numerous other stolen vehicles. During a traffic stop, TCSO Detectives tracked down the suspects, 38-year-old Pedro Berumen Coronado, 35-year-old Pedro Milan Chavez and 29-year-old Carlos Pena Diaz, and arrested them. Evidence inside the stolen truck they were in linked all suspects to the burglaries and tied them to both cases and to a theft of a dump truck and backhoe from Alta Irrigation in Dinuba the previous day. More than $100,000 worth of farm equipment was recovered from the two-day crime spree.

Coronado, Chavez and Diaz face charges of grand theft, burglary, vandalism and possession of a stolen vehicle. Detectives say, Coronado was previously arrested by TCSO Ag Crimes Detectives for similar crimes in June 2022. He was released after serving about 8 months in Tulare County.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to contact Ag Detective Steve Boertje, Detective Corey Sailer, or Sgt. Gunderman with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office at (559) 733-6218. Or, they can remain anonymous by calling or texting (559) 725-4194 or through email at tcso@tipnow.com.