Man arrested for stealing scrap metal from historic walnut orchard in Danville
DANVILLE – A man was arrested Tuesday afternoon after police found him trespassing on East Bay Regional Parks District property.
At around 1:30 pm Tuesday, East Bay Regional Park District Police officers were dispatched to a video alarm activation at a property on Fostoria Way, in Danville. They arrived and confronted a suspect on the property.
With the assistance of multiple nearby agencies, officers took the suspect into custody at gunpoint. A helicopter from the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office responded to assist with a search of the property after the suspect made comments about a second outstanding suspect. Those comments were unfounded and no additional suspect was found.
Authorities say they found evidence the suspect was at the property to steal scrap metal. They also located a vehicle that was used by the suspect nearby.
According to a source, the same subject was seen on a remote video feed at the same location two days earlier, on Sunday. At that time, East Bay Regional Parks Police responded and search the property with the help of one of their helicopters. No suspects were located on Sunday.
The East Bay Regional Parks District property is located in the 3000 block of Fostoria Way. The 16 acre property, which is known as the Borel walnut orchard and formerly part of McCamley Ranch, was given to the park district in 2012 after the owner Armand Borel died in 2009.
EBRPD originally planned to sell part of the land to pay for the preservation of the vintage structures and orchards on the property. In the long term, the park district plans to maintain the property as an “agricultural park” as a historic resource.
Before his death at the age of 80, Borel said he wanted the orchard, owned by his family since 1923, to be enjoyed by others by keeping it undeveloped. His family originally owned around 60 acres, most of which was sold to commercial and residential developers during the 1900s (source: EBT).
#Danville – Police responding to assist @RegionalParksPD officers attempting to detain multiple suspects at a facility on Fostoria Way – Sheriff's helicopter also responding
— Danville/SR Updates (@DanvilleSR_News) February 6, 2018
#Danville – @RegionalParksPD helicopter assisting EBRPD officers with an alarm activation at a facility on Fostoria Way
— Danville/SR Updates (@DanvilleSR_News) February 5, 2018
