Location: 500 block of Nelson Street, Exeter
Incident Date: 3/22/17
Incident Time: 0730 hours
Case Number: 17-01973
Victim: Exeter Irrigation
City: Exeter
Posted by: Media Relations
Case Synopsis:
On 02/16/17, Deputies from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters Patrol Division responded to Exeter Irrigation regarding a commercial burglary investigation. A preliminary investigation revealed forced entry into the business and multiple items from the business had been taken including fuel, tool boxes, hand and power tools, and a flat-screen TV.
Detectives from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Agriculture Crimes Unit completed a 6-week investigation into a series of commercial burglaries and agriculture related thefts in the Exeter area.
The Ag Crimes Unit in conjunction with Sheriff’s Office Property Crimes Detectives, Headquarters Patrol Division, Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol (TRATT), Visalia Police Department Property Crimes Detectives, and Exeter Police Department participated in the investigation.
On 03/05/17, Kenneth Johnson led Headquarters patrol Deputies on a high speed pursuit in and around the Exeter area. Johnson was ultimately taken into custody and found to be driving a stolen vehicle. A search of the vehicle incident to arrest revealed multiple items of stolen property within the vehicle linked to several recent burglaries. Johnson was taken into custody for appropriate charges.
On 03/22/17 at 0730 hours, Detectives completed a search warrant at Kenneth Johnson’s residence located on the 500 block of Nelson Street, in the City of Exeter. As a result of the search warrant, Detectives located stolen property from Exeter Irrigation that was ultimately returned.
Property identified from burglaries in the City of Visalia and the City of Exeter were also located and subsequently returned to appropriate victims.
This case remains under investigation. Anyone with more information regarding this investigation is urged to contact Ag Crimes Detective Jones at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office at 1-800-808-0488 or anonymously at tcso@tipnow.com or by text or voicemail at 559-725-4194.