Grand theft avocado? SLO County deputies arrest men found with 500 pounds of stolen fruit
Two men were arrested after allegedly trying to steal a major — and tasty — prize from a Nipomo ranch Thursday evening: hundreds of pounds of avocados.
According to a news release from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, at around 8:30 p.m., deputies received a report of two men stealing avocados from a ranch in rural Nipomo.
Upon arriving at the scene, deputies located and arrested the pair. They also recovered approximately 500 pounds of stolen avocados, according to the release.
“The avocados were estimated to be worth between $3,000 - $5,000,” the release read.
The Sheriff’s Office added this was not a unique occurrence.
“Theft of avocados from this ranch have been an ongoing issue,” the release said.
Santa Maria residents Wilson Carrero, 38, and Baltazar Garcia, 40, were both arrested and booked into the county jail on suspicion of charges of felony grand theft. Carrero also faced additional potential charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance, according to the release.
Bail was set for both at $20,000 and the pair still in custody as of Friday afternoon, according to the Sheriff’s Office’s Who’s in Custody website.
