A Lompoc man is facing charges after Santa Barbara County Sheriff's officials say a deputy caught him stealing avocados from a ranch in Goleta.
It happened on Sunday night in the 6900 block of Cathedral Oaks Road.
According to the sheriff's office, the deputy saw a vehicle stopped on the side of the road and spotted a man walking nearby who was wearing a headlamp and carrying a bucket of avocados. The deputy also reportedly noticed a bag of methamphetamine on the dashboard of the vehicle.
Sheriff's officials say deputies searched the vehicle and found the trunk full of avocados. They also reportedly found a meth pipe.
Officials say the owner of the ranch told investigators the man did not have permission to harvest avocados from the property.
Tim Rounds, 44, was arrested on suspicion of grand theft of fruit, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Rounds was booked into the county jail and released without bail under the local court's extension of an emergency rule that eliminated bail for certain offenses because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The avocados were reportedly returned to the ranch owner.
