An arrest has been made in the theft from a local grower.

On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, the Imperial County Sheriff's Office was called to investigate the theft of fertilizer from Abatti Farms. Investigators were able to identify a suspect and made an arrest. Luis Enrique Vega Castaneda, 46, from Brawley, was booked into Imperial County Jail after deputies found two 33-gallon containers of fertilizer, 8 bags of alfalfa seed, and over a dozen containers of pesticide and insecticide chemicals. The combined value of the items is over $25,000. Casteneda is charged with Grand Theft and Possession of Stolen Property.