Grand theft suspects arrested

On Oct. 2 at approximately 3 a.m., an officer from the Tehachapi Police Department was patrolling the parking lot of The Home Depot store located in the 500 Block of North Mill Street. The officer observed a pickup truck driving from the rear of the business with the headlights off and immediately saw what appeared to be several sheets of plywood in the open bed of the pickup truck.

The vehicle exited The Home Depot parking lot and accelerated rapidly onto the eastbound Highway 58 on-ramp. As the vehicle accelerated, several sheets of plywood flew from the bed of the truck and onto the roadway. The officer conducted a traffic stop and observed approximately 45 sheets of plywood still in the bed of the vehicle.

Officers detained the occupants of the vehicle and were quickly able to confirm the sheets of plywood had just been stolen from The Home Depot. The occupants of the vehicle were identified as Edilberto Cervantes, 28, of Highland, California, and Esau Jaurez, 28, of San Bernadino, California. Cervantes and Jaurez were arrested for grand theft and conspiracy to commit a crime and were booked at Kern County Central Receiving Facility. Officers recovered approximately 60 sheets of plywood valuing over $1,400.