California Man Arrested for Allegedly Stealing 21 Tons of Pistachios

Getty

Well, this is nuts.

A California man was arrested on Friday for allegedly stealing nearly 21 tons of pistachios from an agricultural company.

The Touchstone Pistachio Company in San Joaquin Valley, California noticed that 42,000 pounds of pistachios were missing during a routine audit for the month of June. After contacting authorities, the missing nuts prompted an investigation beginning Thursday.

On Friday, the Tulare County Sheriff's Office revealed that investigative leads in Fresno and Kern County discovered a tractor-trailer containing the pistachios had been moved from a lot for a family-owned company, Montemayor Trucking, in the city of Delano to another lot close by.

According to a statement, the pistachios were being repackaged from their original "2000 pound sacks into smaller bags for re-sale." Sheriff deputies then arrested 34-year-old Alberto Montemayor of Montemayor Trucking after reviewing surveillance footage. The pistachio company had hired Montemayor earlier this year as a contractor.

According to The New York Times, Sgt. Joseph England, who leads the agricultural crimes unit, said he's seen cases of stolen nuts often in California's rural areas where farming contributes heavily to the local economy.

"That was pretty large," he told the outlet of the hefty amount stolen. "You don't come across that every day."

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office announced on Saturday that the remaining pistachios were returned to the Touchstone Pistachio Company following the investigation.