Two Tulare County men are facing charges of conspiracy and grand theft after investigators in Ventura County arrested them for several agricultural thefts in the area, authorities announced Wednesday.  

The first incident unfolded on Feb. 24 when Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the 1400 block of San Cayetano Street in Fillmore on reports of an audible alarm coming from a residence.  

At the scene, authorities discovered that an estimated $3,500 worth of agricultural equipment, specifically smudge pots or orchard heaters – used to keep frost off vegetation – had been stolen.  

During that investigation, deputies located footage from surveillance cameras that showed two unidentified suspects on the property at the time of the theft, a news release from VCSO stated.

Just a day later, deputies responded to the same residence after a report that the alarm was going off once again.

“Utilizing remote access to surveillance cameras on the property, the ranch manager advised Sheriff’s Dispatch there was an unknown subject actively stealing agricultural equipment,” the release noted.  

Deputies were able to locate and arrest 28-year-old Juan Carlos Leon, a resident of Lindsay, who was in possession of an estimated $1,000 worth of smudge pot agricultural equipment.

Authorities say the 28-year-old also admitted to being responsible for the burglary that occurred the night before.  

Detectives at VCSO’s Fillmore Investigations Bureau were also able to identify Leon’s co-conspirator as 29-year-old Juan Manuel Diaz, also from Lindsay. Diaz was taken into custody on Feb. 27.  

Authorities were able to recover some of the stolen agricultural equipment and return the property to the victim.  

Both men were booked into the Ventura County Main Jail on charges of conspiracy and grand theft.  

“The Fillmore Patrol Station encourages the agricultural community to utilize ‘Farm Watch,’ a partnership between the farming community and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office,” authorities said. “Farm Watch is a county-wide electronic neighborhood watch program that is distributed to more than several hundred farms, ranches, nurseries, and supply houses.” 

The program also gives ranchers the latest in agricultural crime trends and how to respond to issues in a way that preserves evidence for immediate processing by investigators.