Location: 10800 block of Road 248, Terra Bella
Incident Date: 3/1/18
Incident Time: 0800 hours
Case Number: 18-02784
Victim: Numerous
City: Terra Bella
Posted by: Dispatch
On 3-1-18 at approximately 0800 0800 hours, Sheriff's Deputies from the Porterville Substation were dispatched to a suspicious vehicle in the 10800 block of Road 248, Terra Bella. A subject was contacted in the vehicle but fled on foot and eluded capture.
The vehicle was found to have been stolen from the town of Pixley during a burglary. The vehicle was also found to be filled with stolen property from numerous burglaries throughout the southern San Joaquin valley. Burglaries of residences were identified in the cities of Corcoran, McFarland, Pixley, Tulare, and Hanford.
Controlled substances were also located in the vehicle. Tulare County Regional Auto Theft Task Force (T-RATT) detectives responded and took over the investigation.
Shortly after this incident the suspect was identified by Sheriff's Pixley Patrol Deputies and County Apprehension Team Tracking Criminals in Hiding (CATTCH) Detectives as George Quinteros via body camera images taken during the initial contact.
This began a month long investigation into Quinteros’ whereabouts and criminal activities.
Quinteros was subsequently identified as a suspect in numerous other thefts and burglaries. Quinteros was identified as stealing payroll checks from a business in Pixley and then cashing those checks at different stores in the south valley.
He was identified as the suspect in another burglary near Waukena. He was identified as the suspect in a burglary of an occupied dwelling in Porterville and subsequent high speed pursuit in which he eluded capture again. And Quinteros was also identified in a burglary of a residence in Earlimart. Additionally, Quinteros was found to have stolen a truck a short distance from the location where he ran away from the stolen car on 3-1-18.
On 3-31-18, Porterville substation patrol deputies and detectives with the Tulare Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (TAGNET) arrested Quinteros in the Porterville area without incident. He was found to be in possession of a controlled substance at the time.
The successful conclusion of this investigation could not have taken place without the collaborative effort of numerous law enforcement agencies in the southern San Joaquin valley. The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the following investigative units and/or agencies;
T-RATT – Tulare County Regional Auto Theft Task Force
CATTCH – County Apprehension Team Tracking Criminals in Hiding
TAGNET – Tulare Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team
Property Crimes detectives
Porterville Substation deputies
Pixley Substation deputies
California Highway Patrol
Tulare Police Department
Delano Police Department
Corcoran Police Department
Kings County Sheriff’s Office
Kern County Sheriff’s Office
The Tulare County Regional Auto Theft Task Force (T-RATT) is comprised of personnel from the California Highway Patrol, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, the Visalia Police Department, the Tulare Police Department, the Porterville Police Department, and the Department of Motor Vehicles with the goal of reducing auto theft in Tulare County.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office at (559) 733-6218, T-RATT at (559) 713-4554, or send anonymous information by sending a text or email to TCSO@tipnow.com or call (559) 725-4194.