Tulare County Sheriff's Office makes arrests following series of burglaries

Tulare County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a burglary at a farm store located in the 11900 block of Route 248 in Porterville on February 8, 2024. The suspects forced entry into the store and fled with two ATVs and several power tools, as revealed when deputies arrived.

Following this incident, similar burglaries occurred over a three-month period, characterized by the theft of several ATVs, trailers, tools and an estimated $60,000 worth of agricultural chemicals.

Rafael Lopez, 45, of Terra Bella, has been identified as a suspect in at least three of the burglaries.

On May 28, Lopez was apprehended at a property on Route 248, where officers discovered two ATVs matching the descriptions of those reported stolen in a recent burglary. Following confirmation of the stolen status of the ATVs, Lopez was arrested for his involvement in the burglaries.

Separately, Paulo Lima, 41, of Terra Bella, was also arrested at the same property and charged with possession of stolen property.
Detectives executed an arrest warrant at a property associated with Lopez on May 29, discovering two additional stolen ATVs, a trailer and various tools and chemicals related to other burglaries.

Lopez is suspected of being involved in at least eight burglaries in southern Tulare County since February 2024, including incidents in Porterville.

Persons with relevant information regarding these incidents are encouraged to contact Detective Ryan Pugh or Sergeant Joseph Armstrong of the Tulare County Sheriff's Office Agricultural Crimes Unit at (559) 733-6218. Alternatively, they can opt for anonymity by contacting (559) 725-4194 by call or text, or by email at [email protected].

Tulare County Sheriff's Office makes arrests following series of burglaries was last edited: June 5, 2024 by administrator