One of three arrested for theft and vandalism at Visalia Country Club, police say

VISALIA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Visalia Police arrested 1 antheral and are searching for 2 others aft theft and vandalism astatine the Visalia Country Club implicit the weekend.

Police accidental they stole implicit $17,000 worthy of spot and caused astir $16,000 successful damage.

Sunday morning, astir 4 a.m., officers accidental 3 men jumped the obstruction of the Visalia Country Club and targeted 3 play carts. One was privately owned, wherever the keys were near inside. The 2 different carts belonged to the state club. General Manager Ryan Lancaster says they were not decently stored successful mentation for a backstage lawsuit connected Monday. Those 2 did not person keys.

Visalia Police and the state nine accidental the suspects were caught connected camera taking joyrides, with harm suggesting they whitethorn person besides been playing bumper cars retired connected the course.

"They whitethorn oregon whitethorn not play immoderate benignant of bumper carts retired connected the play course. So if that makes consciousness with the 1 that was extensively functional," said Lancaster. He says they were utilizing the privately owned cart to propulsion the different carts astir the course. "And benignant of tally a muck, if you will," Lancaster explained.

The men stole a play container from the backstage cart. Inside, much than $17,500 worthy of play clubs, equipment, jewelry, and cash. "Some harm to the play course, but yet damaging to the play carts," Lancaster added. They ended up flipping the privately owned cart, causing $15,000 worthy of damage, and different $1,000 successful harm to the state club's carts. 

The suspects past took disconnected with the items. "That probe led them to a conveyance successful the metropolis of Exeter," said Liz Jones, Visalia Police Department's nationalist accusation officer. 

Later that day, Visalia Police arrested 19-year-old Aidan Mendez. Inside his car, they recovered astir each of the property. "Mendez was taken into custody and booked into the Tulare County Adult Pretrial Facility connected charges of conveyance theft, expansive theft, vandalism, and conspiracy," Jones shared. 

19-year-old Aidan Mendez

Police are inactive searching for the 2 different men. If you person immoderate accusation that could assistance pb to an arrest, you are asked to interaction the Visalia Police Department at (559) 734-8117.