The former meth capital of California is facing a troubling wave of crime.
Detectives from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Agricultural Crimes Task Force arrested Francisco Lopez, 54, of Reedley, and Josue Vargas, 46, of Orange Cove. They were taken into custody on suspicions of stealing nearly 2,000 pounds of peaches, as revealed by authorities.
The two men were apprehended after detectives pursued a vehicle that was believed to be involved in a series of fruit thefts in Fresno and Tulare counties. The investigation came to a halt when a pickup truck towing a trailer was stopped on Monday night near Dinuba.
Inside the trailer, authorities found crates with about 2,000 pounds of Pink Moon Peaches, valued at around $8,500. It was later confirmed that these peaches had been stolen from a farm in Tulare County.
Lopez had a bail set at $10,000, while Vargas’s bail was set at $50,000 due to additional warrants related to DUI offenses. A third individual, 56-year-old Jesus Chacon of Reedley, was also in the truck and arrested for outstanding warrants related to drug possession and assault.
Additional charges are expected to be filed against Lopez and Vargas by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office since the theft occurred within their jurisdiction.
Fresno, once highlighted in the 2009 documentary “A Town Addicted to Stimulants,” has recently become a topic of conversation as Central Valley cities appear in national crime rankings. This latest incident, involving agriculture, connects the city’s infamous past with one of its crucial industries.
To help combat these thefts, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is advising growers to implement security measures. They suggest installing cameras near entrances, keeping areas well-lit, and securing trailers and harvest boxes properly. Clearing vegetation around access points to remove potential hiding spots is also recommended.
