A Prunedale man was arrested Nov. 26 on suspicion of a lengthy list of agriculture-related crimes including theft of a tractor.
On Oct. 22, deputies from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 300-block of Espinoza Road in Salinas following a report of an abandoned vehicle and suspected theft of agricultural property.
Joel Ramos Gaona was booked into Monterey County Jail on multiple charges, including possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, felony grand theft and felony vandalism.
He was not in custody Thursday, jail records showed.
Deputies located a 2015 BMW X1 SUV stuck in a field, which was later confirmed to have been stolen out of a nearby jurisdiction.
During the investigation, deputies discovered that multiple pieces of farming equipment and several tractors on the property had been moved, resulting in extensive damage to both the machinery and crops.
Monterey County Sheriff’s Ag Crimes Unit detectives identified Gaona as the primary suspect.
On Nov. 26, investigators contacted Gaona at his residence in the 2000-block of San Miguel Canyon Road in Prunedale while executing a search warrant.
A search of the property led to the recovery of several stolen items.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Monterey County Sheriff’s Ag Crimes Unit at 831.755.3805 and request to speak with Det. J. Reyes.
