Location: Avene 376, west of Road 80, Seville

Incident Date: 01-30-2016

Incident Time: 1900 Hrs

Case Number: 16-01276

Victim: Raul Santellan

City: Seville

Posted by: Dispatch

Deputies with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Orosi Substation Patrol Unit were dispatched to the agricultural area of Avenue 376 and Road 180.   A farmer had been looking at his lemon orchard when he found subjects stealing several boxes of them.  

While attempting to get away from the farmer the suspect vehicle crashed into two lemon trees causing catastrophic damage to them.  The farmer was able to block the vehicle and subjects fled from the vehicle on foot. 

Tulare County Sheriff’s Office personnel, including the Sheriff’s Airplane, searched the area, but were unable to locate the subjects who fled on foot.  20 boxes of lemons were located inside the suspect vehicle and were returned to the victim.  The suspect vehicle was towed and stored pending investigation of the theft and damage to the lemon trees. 

The Sheriff’s Airplane did find a stolen vehicle from the Los Angeles area while searching for these subjects.  This vehicle was turned over to CHP for investigation. 

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department at (559)733-6218 or send anonymous information by sending a text or email to TCSO@tipnow.com or call (559) 725-4194.