California Man Held on Suspicion of Stealing More Than 21 Tons of Pistachios from a Local Company

A male suspect from a trucking company, Alberto Montemayor, is currently being held in custody on suspicion of stealing thousands of Pistachios from a local company.

A California man is currently held on suspicion of stealing more than 21 tons of Pistachios from a local company. Tulare County Sheriff’s Office revealed the news on Facebook.

The authorities said TCSO Ag Detectives tracked down a thief who stole a trailer containing 42,000 pounds of Pistachios.

"During the month of June, a routine audit by the Touchstone Pistachio Company revealed that approximately 42,000 pounds of pistachios were missing," the sheriffs said.

The officials explained that on June 17, the TCSO Ag Crimes Unit was contacted and requested to investigate the theft and managed to get a lead.

The police said on June 19, investigative leads in Fresno and Kern County discovered he moved a tractor-trailer containing the stolen goods from the Montemayor Trucking lot in Delano to a nearby lot.

Detectives found that the pistachios were being moved from 2000-pound sacks into smaller bags for re-sale. The remaining pistachios were returned to the Touchstone Pistachio Company.

Montemayor was arrested for allegedly stealing the nuts and attempting to resell them. The nuts are valued at over $100,000. The 34-year-old was apprehended on Friday and booked in Tulare County in connection to the incident.

Law enforcement officers involved in the case have urged public members to come forward with any information related to the potential nut theft.

In a similar incident in April, a 16-year-old boy who was not named because he was a minor, was arrested for allegedly stealing $40,000 worth of jewelry during an open house in Thousand Oaks.

The youngster visited numerous multimillion-dollar homes throughout Central and Southern California. The suspect was taken into custody on April 1 at his home in Camarillo.

The investigation began in mid-March, following a burglary report in Thousand Oaks, authorities said. An appointment and financial paperwork were required to tour the home.

The teenager "arrived and seemed out of place," the sheriff's said in a statement at the time. The boy was left to walk alone through the house, and after his departure, they discovered that he had stolen the jewelry.

The victim told investigators that the boy claimed to be 23 years old and had a letter indicating he had access to “millions of dollars.” He previously visited several homes under such pretenses. The police later recovered several pieces of high-end jewelry at his home.