Tulare County: Three Arrested after Stolen Vehicles Reportedly Discovered on Their Property
Three people were arrested in Tulare County over the weekend on a variety of charges, including making bomb threats, after police reportedly discovered multiple stolen vehicles on their property.
According to a press release by the Porterville Police Department, officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle at a residence located on the 1400 block of South Kessing Street on Sunday, June 4. At the residence, officers discovered a Ford pick-up truck, a motorcycle, and a Honda off-road vehicle, all of which had been reported as stolen.
Officers attempted to approach the occupants of a travel trailer on the property to investigate the thefts further, but the occupants were not cooperative, police said.
During this encounter, an individual within the trailer allegedly made several false reports to law enforcement, including claims of a stabbing, shooting, and bomb threats at local businesses in Porterville. These reports were investigated by law enforcement officials and determined to be unfounded. Detectives were later summoned to the scene and took over the investigation.
Based on the gathered information, detectives obtained a search warrant encompassing the residence and the associated residential property, including the trailer in question. During the execution of the search warrant, three individuals — identified as Salvador Sierra (33), Jose De Jesus Munoz (36), and Kimberly Austin (31) — were apprehended inside the trailer. The three were detained pending further investigation.
During Sierra’s arrest, a detective reportedly sustained an injury requiring medical treatment at a nearby hospital. It was also discovered that Sierra had an active felony warrant for his arrest. The trailer itself was also discovered to have been reported stolen. A search of the trailer led detectives to the discovery of ammunition. Sierra, per the law regarding felony convictions, is prohibited from possessing any ammunition.
Sierra was arrested and booked at the Tulare County South County Detention Facility on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, felon in possession of ammunition, assault on a peace officer, resisting arrest, maliciously reporting a bomb threat, and a felony warrant. Sierra is currently being held on bail set at $175,000.
Munoz and Austin, who were also arrested in connection with the incident, were booked at the Tulare County South County Detention Facility on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest, and maliciously reporting a bomb threat. Their bail has been set at $75,000 each.
The Porterville Police Department encourages anyone with information related to this ongoing investigation or any other criminal activity to contact them at (559) 782-7400 or through their department Facebook page.
