According to officials, two males systematically stole thousands of dollars in fish from a nearby Yucaipa eatery on Saturday under the cover of early morning darkness.
Back-and-forth bucket hauls were used in a burglary operation that resulted in the theft of 85 koi fish.
Two people are seen carrying buckets and continuously entering and leaving the outdoor space of the Oak House Restaurant in Yucaipa on security footage that The Times was able to get. According to Silvia Duarte, who owns the restaurant with her husband, it features a small ranch where patrons can see a variety of unusual creatures, including Amazon cockatoos, fainting goats, and koi fish.
Now, how can you trust anyone? “Duarte said.” We have vintage autos and antiques in the restaurant. You don’t find a spot like this very often.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, investigators tracked down David Smith’s vehicle from the scene of the burglary and arrested him on charges of grand theft on Wednesday. Smith was being held on a $30,000 bond at a correctional facility Thursday.
The other suspect has not been apprehended.
The fishing trip on Saturday took place almost a week after Duarte called the police after she started to notice that there didn’t seem to be as many koi in her pond. She added that fish with specific patterns were going extinct. With Saturday’s heist included, a total of 85 were taken.
However, authorities informed Duarte they couldn’t do much because there was no threat at the time.
Sheriff’s deputies informed The Times that they do not yet know why the thefts occurred. However, they pointed out that, depending on the buyer, each fish might have brought between $50 and $1,500 if it had been sold. Only a small number of koi were found at Smith’s house, they added. Only five little koi were returned, according to Duarte.
The Washington Post reported that some collectors will spend up to $25,000 for a championship carp, following the theft of 400 of the fish from an office park outside of Washington in 2013. However, a koi dealer told The Times that most don’t fetch quite that amount. If domestically grown, they fetch around $20 for a 10-inch specimen and $200 for a 2-foot-long koi.
According to deputies, it is presently unknown how the suspects managed to fit all 85 fish—some of which were large—into the tiny containers. They said that this was the first time in Yucaipa.
The fish can grow up to 3 feet in length, but it usually reaches 14 to 18 inches.The Times was informed by a koi vendor in Los Angeles that moving them is simple and involves utilizing buckets filled with water.
According to Duarte, who has been breeding koi for over 20 years with her husband, the fish have far greater value to her than their monetary worth.
According to Duarte, some of the children who come to the establishment have names for the fish. It’s not just us who use them. All of our customers and clients adore animals as well.
She claimed that after Duarte shared information about Saturday’s crime on Facebook, there was a minor online public backlash. “I love looking at Koi and the birds when I go to eat there,” one reviewer said, lamenting the loss of the fish.
The town was awakened by the incident, and some people started to speculate: Could it be a bear? I don’t think so! One more commenter wrote.
Authorities and Duarte were struggling to find a solution to the issue of outdoor property theft.
When businesses have outdoor property that cannot be guarded, it would be difficult to avoid this kind of crime, the Sheriff’s Department emailed The Times. The owners in this instance had CCTV cameras, which greatly aided the inquiry.
According to Duarte, she is unable to lock the gate that gives her and her other animals access to the outdoor ranch due to certain fire rules. But she pledged to find a means to seal the entrance after 85 koi were lost. If not, there’s a chance it will occur again.
