Posted by: Media Relations
14-4796 459PC
Victims: Fruit Growers Supply Porterville
Location of occurrence: 934 W. Scranton
Porterville Date & Time occurred: 04/17/14 to 04/18/14 @ 2100 hrs.
Date & Time assigned: 04/18/14 @ 0800 hrs.
Date & Time of call out: Same as above
Suspects: (S1) Rafael Gomez 58 yrs. City of Hawthorne
(S2) Israel Garcia 23yrs. City of Hawthorne
Over the past several months, The Tulare County Sheriff's Department has been investigating numerous agricultural related commercial burglaries with similar MO's. As a result of these investigations, Investigators contacted surrounding allied agencies which consisted of Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County, Kings County, Fresno County, Kern County, Hanford PD, Visalia PD and Farmersville PD, who advised that they were also investigating thefts similar to those experienced in Tulare County. As a result, TCSD investigators teamed up with investigators from those agencies in an effort to exchange information and develop leads regarding the thefts in our area as well as their areas.
On Friday, 4-25-14, investigators from the Tulare County Sheriff's Department Agricultural Crimes Unit received information from investigators with the Kern County Sheriff's Department Agricultural Crimes Unit regarding a subject in the City of Hawthorne California, who was in possession of possible stolen property taken as a result of the recent thefts. Based on this information, TCSD Investigators reached out to investigators with the Hawthorne Police Department who responded to the subject’s residence and ultimately found stolen property belonging to Fruit Growers Supply out of Porterville. Based on Hawthorne PD's preliminary findings, Investigators from the Tulare County Sheriff's Department responded to the City of Hawthorne where they met with Hawthorne PD investigators and continued a joint investigation where further leads were developed over a 3 day period. As a result of this joint investigation, Investigators with the Hawthorne Police Department and the Tulare County Sheriff's Department served search warrants on the suspects residence in the City of Hawthorne and 4 storage units in the City of Gardena resulting in the recovery of numerous items belonging to victims in Tulare County as well as victims from up and down the State of California and as far East as the State of Ohio. During investigation, the two above suspects, Rafael Gomez, age 58, and Israel Garcia, age 23, both residents of Hawthorne, were contacted at their residence and taken into custody for PC 496 possession of stolen property by Hawthorne Police Department.
During the time investigators were in Southern California, Over 1100 items of suspected stolen property consisting primarily of new Stihl brand power tools / yard and farm equipment as well as other items were seized during the execution of the search warrants.
The Tulare County Sheriff's Department recovered an approximate total of $59,000 of property with a large amount of additional items being left with Hawthorne Police for additional investigation. Home Depot was identified by Hawthorne PD as being the victim of over $41,000 of equipment located. Of 172 items returned to Tulare County, 42 of them were positively identified as belonging to Fruit Growers Supply out of Porterville. These items are worth $300 each, totaling $12,600.
The approximate total value of recovered property is $320,000. This includes items that have yet to be identified and returned.
Some Items recovered were identified as being reported stolen from Madera County, Colusa County, Hanford Police Department, San Luis Obispo County and numerous other locations throughout the United States.
These investigations are ongoing and investigators are working to identify any additional suspects involved.