ARVIN, Calif. (KERO) — Arvin police tell 23ABC that on Wednesday, one or more persons broke into the city's Public Works lot and stole several equipment, including 4 NEW Ford F-150 trucks!
- Four new trucks were stolen from the Public Works Lot in Arvin, California.
- Authorities have recovered three of the stolen trucks and arrested four suspects.
- The theft involved a main suspect, Arturo Baltazar Cantero, who confessed to the crime.
- The city had recently invested $200,000 in these trucks, each valued at around $50,000.
- The final truck was found stripped in Bakersfield, marking it as a total loss.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
On Wednesday, the Public Works Lot behind me was broken into, leading to the theft of 4 NEW trucks. While the case is still under investigation, authorities say, so far, the trucks have been located.
When employees from the city's public works department went into work early Wednesday, they noticed something. The chain that keeps the gate closed had been cut and several equipment was missing.
"As my officers responded over there they determined it wasn't just some items missing—there's a plethora of items missing from there—the place was broken in to along with 4 of their new trucks," said Arvin Police Chief Alex Ghazalpour.
Just three months ago, authorities say the city allocated about 200 thousand dollars for the purchase of four F-150 trucks, each worth approximately 50,000 dollars.
With the help of Kern County Auto Theft Taskforce and technology including automated license plate readers and flock cameras, 3 trucks were located on Wednesday in different locations.
One of those recoveries led to 4 arrests.
"The main suspect admitted to the theft, admitted to being the person behind the theft, and ultimately stealing the equipment, stealing the trucks, and so forth," said Ghazalpour.
Police say the main suspect is 30-year-old Arturo Baltazar Cantero of the Arvin and Lamont areas. Baltzar was booked in Lerdo and is facing a variety of felony charges.
The three individuals traveling with Baltazar were also booked into Lerdo and are being investigated further.
The fourth and final truck was found Thursday morning in Bakersfield, but was stripped, making it a total loss.
In a statement from APD, Police Chief Alex Ghazalpour addresses those entering Arvin to commit crimes, stating in part—
"To those who believe they can enter our city or our county and commit crimes against our residents or our municipal infrastructure, let this serve as your warning: We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."
Arvin PD says the vehicles recovered will be off limits for about a week, as they are being used as evidence and have to go through a safety inspection.
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