TCSO: Man arrested after destroying bee boxes

A man was arrested Tuesday on felony vandalism charges after reportedly destroying bee boxes, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office reported.

A man was arrested Tuesday on felony vandalism charges after reportedly destroying bee boxes, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office reported.

On Tuesday, at 3:55 p.m., detectives from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Ag Crime Unit responded to the intersection of Road 168 and Avenue 152, in Porterville, regarding a felony vandalism to bee boxes alongside the roadway.

Upon arrival, detectives were informed on Sunday at approximately 3 p.m., that a black Honda traveling northbound on Road 168 ran into several bee boxes. The vehicle then went into reverse and ran into several more boxes before leaving the area. The witness provided a description and a photo of the vehicle.

The owner of the bees, T’s Bees, estimated that 72 boxes of bee hives were damaged beyond repair and estimated the total loss value to be approximately $24,000.

The suspect vehicle owned by Edmar Zolorsano, 32, was later located in the 19200 block of Avenue 144, in Poplar. Zolorsano was contacted and interviewed. During the interview the suspect admitted to driving the vehicle and damaging the bee boxes. The suspect was later arrested and transported to the Porterville Substation and booked for felony vandalism.

Anyone with more information regarding this investigation is urged to contact the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department Ag Crimes Unit via telephone at 1-800-808-0488 or anonymously at tcso@tipnow.com or by text or voicemail at 725-4194.