Increase in Thieves Targeting Fresno County Farms for Brass Parts

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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Detectives with Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Ag Task Force have seen an increase in the theft of certain brass parts from farmers’ properties in the past two months.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Thieves are targeting brass gate valves and t-handles, metal parts used to control water flow, said Sgt. Ryan Hushaw with the Ag Task Force.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">It’s mainly happening in vineyards and orchards in the Kerman, Helm and Cantua Creek areas.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">&quot;What they’ll do is they’ll actually remove that t-handle, and then they’ll take that to be recycled at the recycling yard,&quot; Hushaw said. &quot;It’s a pretty good chunk of metal that they can get some money for.&quot;</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">To try to prevent these thefts, recycling centers that accept metal are required by law to take down certain information from customers–their contact information, photo, thumb print, and signature.&nbsp;</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">In west central Fresno, the Earthwise Recycling center works closely with the Fresno County Ag Task Force.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">If a material is suspicious, staff members contact detectives and place a hold on the metal.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">&quot;I’ll send him (the detective) the picture, and he’ll tell me, it looks suspicious, hold it,&quot; said Rebecca Hernandez, manager with Earthwise Recycling. &quot;So I’ll do a three day hold. I’ll let the customer know.&quot;</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Hishaw said thieves sometimes try to make cash off bucketfulls of these brass parts.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">It’s a crime that’s severely impacting farmers.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Hushaw recommends that farmers be proactive and mark all of their equipment.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /> &quot;Whether that be a unique type of paint, or maybe the farm initials on it, or even engrave some of the metal,&quot; Hushaw suggested.&nbsp;</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Meanwhile, detectives with the Ag Task Force are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man they suspect of multiple ag thefts.&nbsp;</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">He was caught on surveillance on a farmer’s property in the Clovis area, detectives believe, in the progress of a theft.&nbsp;</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">He’s described as a white male in his 40s, about 6 feet tall, 160 lbs. with a goatee.&nbsp;</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">His vehicle appears to be a 4-door Chevy S10 pickup. The back side of the driver’s side mirror has a distinctive sticker that looks to be the &quot;hang loose&quot; logo.&nbsp;</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Anyone with information on that crime or other agricultural thefts should call the Fresno County Sheriff’s Ag Office at&nbsp;(559) 600-8150&nbsp;or Crime Stoppers at 498-STOP to remain anonymous.&nbsp;</div></div>