Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Thieves Targeting Local Winery; Owners Seek Public’s Help in Identifying Culprits

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Cesar Toxqui, the owner and namesake of Redwood Valley’s Cesar Toxqui Cellars, asks for the public’s help in identifying two individuals captured by security cameras stealing items from their winery. 

On the early morning of July 21, 2020, surveillance footage caught a male prowling about the property with items tucked under his arm. The male appears to be white, has brown hair, and a thin physique.

Cesar Toxqui Cellars Thief #2

On June 30, 2020, another male was caught on camera, ambling outside of a garage, seemingly casing the area. He was wearing a backward hat, black shirt, and shorts, and had a heavy build.

Cesar Toxqui Cellars Thief #2

According to Toxqui, the first major incident occurred in 2018 when thieves took a 3000KW generator. The theft happened in a brief window of time after him, and his employees left the property for only an hour. He noted that the gate is difficult to operate and surmised the thief watched him and his employees open the gate to break in. 

In early 2020, Toxqui noticed that an air compressor was missing, prompting him to install surveillance cameras finally. Throughout this year, Toxqui said items have continued to go missing from the winery, including air compressor hoses, stainless steel buckets, and other winery equipment. The thieves even stole a garbage can and made sure to remove the garbage before they made off with it. Toxqui joked, “at least they could have taken the trash too, you know?”

Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall could not comment on specifics of the case. He did explain that because commercial burglaries are no longer considered felonies in the State of California, burglarers are more often targeting commercial properties because of the lenient punitive measures.

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Sheriff Kendall suggested Mendocino County business owners fortify their commercial properties with surveillance cameras, alarms systems, and extra lighting to dissuade thieves from targeting their property. 

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Matt LaFever
Matt LaFeverhttps://mendofever.com/
For the past seven years, Matt LaFever has covered the North Coast of California in both print and radio news. A Humboldt State graduate, he has lived in the Emerald Triangle for nearly 20 years. His reporting spans local issues like crime and wildfires. When not writing, Matt is an avid outdoorsman, exploring Northern California’s rugged landscapes. Reach out to him at matthewplafever@gmail.com.

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