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Sting nets 3 suspects in agricultural metal theft spree
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More from Breaking NewsThree suspects in a sting of agricultural metal thefts in and around Camarillo have been arrested, authorities said.
Jorge Lara Gutierrez, 25, of Oxnard, Ulises Carranza, 18, of Oxnard and a 17-year-old boy were arrested Friday after Ventura County Sheriff's investigators watched them allegedly steal brass valves from irrigation pipes and copper wire from a tractor trailer at farms on the 8000 block of Stockton Road outside Moorpark and the 8000 block of Los Angeles Avenue in Somis, the Sheriff's Department announced last night.
All three were arrested on suspicion of grand theft, vandalism, conspiracy, possession of burglary tools and trespassing.
The juvenile was cited and released.
Gutierrez and Carranza were booked into the county's pre-trial detention facility. Both had been released on bond as of this morning.
Investigators early this month identified several suspects in a series of burglaries over the last six months, but did not have enough evidence to arrest them. They conducted a sting in hopes of catching them in the act.
Investigators suspect the alleged thieves are responsible for numerous thefts involving agricultural irrigation valves and copper wire. Authorities are encouraging anyone who has been a victim of such a metal theft during the past six months to call the Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau at 477-7015.
Posted by oxnard40 on May 20, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is becoming a big problem. Copper recycling is big money. The sting operations need to be done at the recycle plants. These are the people that pay the criminals. When a person shows up with a role of copper wiring or plumbing valves, there should be a question of where they obtained this material
Posted by clementine on May 20, 2008 at 10:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
They come here for a better life. They sleep & drink by day - and steal at night. America is good!
Posted by slkrchck on May 20, 2008 at 10:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i guess we owe them?
Posted by h2odog on May 20, 2008 at 11:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Where does the article say that these 3 come from another country or that they are here illegaly?
Stealing is wrong and they should be punished accordingly, but not because of their last name.
Come on now!
Posted by missing805 on May 20, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My toughts exactly H2ODOG. people if you guys have not noticed. Yes Ventura county has a large illegal immigrant population, but it also has a large Hispanic population, many who are American Citizens. Its like assuming that a perosn whose last name is Lee, is asian.
Posted by Camdad101 on May 20, 2008 at 11:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Legal or illegal, why does it always seem the it's Latinos committing all these crimes in Ventura County?
As I read the Star articles it sure seems like Latinos account for far more than their fair share of crime.
What's the deal?
Posted by cast on May 20, 2008 at 11:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Makes me wonder who really makes a profit here?I agree stealing is wrong,But i can almost bet the owners of the recycle plants are legal.
Posted by cast on May 20, 2008 at 11:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just wondering how many illegals are poligimist? oh wait you can be legal but poligimist is illegal.So very confusing (as i scratch my head at all the ignorant comments)
Posted by cast on May 20, 2008 at 11:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
edsbeamer i hadn't seen your commnet yet.Thanks for the info.
Posted by Ms_California on May 20, 2008 at 1:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I've never had to give my personal info at the recycle centers..
Posted by Adam_Monroe on May 20, 2008 at 1:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Camdad101...I think these stories might make for some interesting reading:
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news...
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news...
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news...
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news...
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news...
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news...
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news...
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news...
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news...
After you read those, you may want to tell us that "the MAJORITY of crimes are committed by Hispanics..." well then you need to sign up for a basic Sociology class and especially pay attention on the day that they discuss Numerical Minority and Majority.
LOGICALLY speaking, if the population of Oxnard is made up of mostly Hispanics, then the perpetrators of crimes should also reflect that and be mainly Hispanics.
Read the Newspaper for Seattle Washington and tell me what race is causing the most crime up there...I can tell you that it is neither Hispanics nor blacks...
Its people like you that make ridiculous judgments, and blanket statements yet THINK that you are not racists that disgust the rest of us...please do us all a favor and defect from this country and go somewhere else...
Posted by lilmamma on May 20, 2008 at 1:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
People need to stay on the subject and stop venturing off into immigration. If you don't like Oxnard you have the freedom to move.Those three people were stupid to steal steel its almost too funny to be true. If you are going to be a thief atleast steal something that gets you street cred or admiration from people.
Posted by allblacks on May 20, 2008 at 2:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Their punishment should be working for the farmers for free until the equivalant of the money they would have made selling the scrap is paid off (if that makes sense). Keeps the jail from being overcrowded and the victim gets the benefit of free labor.
Posted by tom on May 20, 2008 at 3:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
adam_monroe
You make no sense. First you cherry pick a few stories to prove that hispanics do not commit the majority of crimes than you state that they do because they represent a higher percentage of the population.
You are just as ridiculous and just as racist as camdad101.
Posted by whatever on May 20, 2008 at 4:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
cast, no your comment was the ignorant comment. Others speak the truth. The crime is rampant with hispanics in America. That is the truth. As far as the comment about the polygamist, that was another no thought out comment. It is low life's who steal from others instead of working for a real job that they say they came here for! They will never learn and we pay the price.
Posted by elduke93003 on May 20, 2008 at 4:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It doesn't surprise me to see all these racist comments on the site. Since this is the same paper that wrote a front page story in the mid 90's condoning the white supremacist gangs in ventura because they were not like other dumb gangs in the county. This according to the star, because atleast the white supremacists had a cause for being a gang. This being racism against others.
Posted by Adam_Monroe on May 20, 2008 at 5:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No, I wanted to show him that not ALL crime in this COUNTY is committed by Hispanics.
But that's the whole county...if we want to talk ONLY Oxnard, I thought I'd just point out the obvious...
By the way here's one more for you:
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news...
I am not Hispanic by the way. So does defending them make me racist toward my own kind? I dont get it? I think YOU are the one that makes no sense.
Posted by jfhiggins on May 20, 2008 at 5:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To Adam Monroe -
Since you didn't provide an answer to your question about which group commits the majority of crime in Seattle, let me offer a guess - coffee drinkers?
Posted by cast on May 20, 2008 at 5:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
tom
you know exactly what adam_monroe meant.And nice choice of words"cherry pick" And at lest you agreed to cammdad101 being a racist! Again nice wording.
Posted by cast on May 20, 2008 at 5:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
whatever
did you not read i said "Stealing is wrong"
it doesn't suprise me that you have grouped.Illegals and legal "hispanics" together.
Now that is ignorant! apparently what i said flew over your head.Boo!
Posted by cast on May 20, 2008 at 5:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
cammdad101
let me make it clear i don't know enough about you to say you are a racist.And was not by any means calling you one.
Posted by RayRay on May 21, 2008 at 7:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Its easier to just dislike everyone that way i'm not racist, just a hater. But if YOU dont like haters does that make you racist against haters? Haters arent a race though. It sounds like a few people with strong opinions offending or being offended despite whichever race they are. The community is predominately Hispanic... Given. Majority of crime.... Hispanic? not so sure... but accepted. Has anybody identified who the majority of the victims of the crimes are? Could it also be Hispanic? Whichever side you are taking how the immigration issue got brought into 3 young adults arrested for theft, i am not sure. Parenting 101? spare the rod spoil the child but then u become a child abuser! Todays society, The laws/rules, ability to sue.... for anything...is the downfall...stop pandering to all the basic whiners in society and Lay down the law Old school style without being racist, equal across the board. There are few good comments. If you dont like where u are at ...move! And i like the free labor, put them to work side by side with the people that have probly broke their backs so there kids could be born in america, be citizens, have the rights of Americans (cause they are) and then turn there backs, and shame an entire race which does provide actual hard working Hispanic individuals.
Just remember..... This is an article about 3 individuals stealing! Dont make it anything else...cause depite the opinions... Its not... O by the way they are all released.... or out on bond whatcha gonna do now? While we are at it lets add gun control to mix!!!Any takers?
Posted by SayItLikeItIs on May 22, 2008 at 1:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Headlines will soon read "Mother of two arrested for stealing copper....to buy gas for her SUV"
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