VISALIA – The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) reported the arrests of two men for what TCSO dubbed “nacho typical crime.”
TCSO detectives arrested Pablo Serrano and Juan Mendez on Aug. 12 for their suspected involvement in a truck robbery; Serrano was arrested for conspiracy to commit a crime, arson and insurance fraud and Mendez was arrested for conspiracy and arson. At least one additional suspect is wanted in questioning, TCSO said in an Aug. 12 press release.
The sheriff’s office said these arrests come after deputies responded to a call about a stolen truck along West Caldwell Avenue in Visalia Aug. 2. Serrano, the owner of the Sabor Latino taco truck, told detectives that his truck — not his food truck, but his pickup truck worth $80,000 — was stolen in a robbery along with cash.
Surveillance footage from the taco truck caught the robbery on camera. In an image captured from the video and shared by TCSO, a man in a light blue hoodie is seen with his hands on another man’s arms, as the other man and a third person begin to put their hands up.
TCSO said detectives tracked down the stolen truck fully engulfed in flames in an orchard near Woodlake. The truck was a complete loss, and the fire caused $10,000 in damage to the orchard.
“In the days following the robbery and arson, detectives found evidence indicating that Serrano had staged the robbery with his friends to make an insurance claim on the $80,000 truck,” TCSO said. “The day after the robbery, Serrano made an insurance claim for his burned vehicle.”
TCSO is asking for anyone with information to call the sheriff’s office at 1-800-808-0488. Individuals can submit information anonymously at tcso@tipnow.com or by text or voicemail at 559-725-4194.
