I’ve heard of some pretty weird heists in my time, but stealing cherries has to be up there with the best of them.
When you think about something to steal, it’s usually best to go with an item that isn’t perishable. Cars, gold, art, and jewels are among the most common targets. These can be swiped and hidden away until the heat cools a bit.
Something you really don’t want to steal is a perishable fruit that needs a massive chilled area to store. Not only will it go out of date in a week or so, but it will also be incredibly hard to shift. This is presuming that the people accused of stealing thousands of dollars of cherries weren’t planning on just eating them. I could understand that.
Either way, a trio of thieves was caught in the act of swiping around $2,000 worth of cherries from a farm in Waterloo and Fairfield. Deputies were called to the scene of the crime, where they caught them red-handed, figuratively and literally. They had also caused over $2,000 of damage to crops.
Cherry Pickers Pinched For Pilfering Paletable Prize
The three thieves charged with stealing thousands of dollars of cherries were allegedly reselling them on local markets. According to CBS, the three were tied to similar heists in the area. They had been travelling across multiple counties, stealing various fruits. The stolen produce was then taken and sold on fruit stands.
Andrew Genasci, executive director of the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau, spoke to CBS about the arrest. “This was a big deal. They were organized. They knew exactly what they were doing. The paper they had, they were moving south state up to north. This was big money.”
I am disappointed they were only stealing the cherries for resale. I would have hoped they had followed the perps home and found them running some wild operation. It would be nice to imagine the police breaking down the door to find some incredible pie-baking operation going on.
Personally, I could eat my way through $2,000 of cherries before they went bad. I love those delicious little red balls of fruity delight.