On Wednesday, June 12th, Ernesto Garcia of Pixley, age 22, was sentenced on felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon in violation of Penal Code section 245(a)(1), and grand theft in violation of Penal Code section 487(a).Garcia was sentenced in Tulare County Court, Dinuba Division, Department 1, by the Honorable Stephen Drew. He was sentenced to4 years in state prison and was ordered to pay restitution fines and restitution to the victim. This case was investigated by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Agricultural Crimes Unit, and the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office Rural Crimes Unit. Ian Marty of the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office Agricultural Crimes Unit was the prosecutor on this case.

The case arose when a deputy from the Tulare County Sheriff’s department was dispatched to a metal theft from a local dairy. The witness informed the deputy that he observed a red Nissan pickup truck at his father’s dairy taking metal stanchions. The witness described the stanchions as a type of gate used on dairies for cows to place their heads through when feeding. The pickup truck fled at a high rate of speed once the individuals were spotted. The witness stated he called his father who contacted another employee and they both went to look for the red Nissan. They believed that when it left the truck may have been heading to the local recycling yard. As luck would have it the thieves had not gone far, and were in fact at the recycling yard. The stanchions were still in the back of the truck. The pickup was still running and Garcia was seated in the back wearing a white tank top. When the dairy employee reached into the vehicle to attempt to turn off the truck, Garcia pulled a small knife and attempted to stab the victim’s arm. The vehicle was occupied by two other individuals as well. After the dairy employee tried to detain the truck, the driver, the other passenger, and the defendant Garcia sped off once again. This time metal stanchions were spewing from the back of the truck as it swerved out of the driveway. The father and his employee doggedly pursued the truck until it got stuck and all its occupants fled on foot. The Tulare County Sheriff’s department set up a perimeter and Garcia was eventually captured. The dairy employee picked Garcia out of a lineup and stated he was the one who attempted to stab him. Follow up investigation was performed by the Tulare County Sheriff’s department Agricultural Crimes division.

Both the Sheriff’s Department Ag Crime Unit and the District Attorney’s Ag Crime Unit operate through the State funded Rural Crime Prevention Program administered by the Office of the Tulare County District Attorney. The Rural Crime Prevention program was developed by District Attorney Phil Cline to stop and prevent agricultural crime.

For more information on protecting agricultural operations contact the Rural Crime Prevention Unit at (559) 624-1054, the ACTION Project at (559) 624-1054 or the Sheriff’s Ag Crime Unit at (559) 740-4300. Information can be obtained on line at www.agcrime.net