Fresno County family reunited with $30,000 worth of stolen property

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno County family was reunited with a huge haul of stolen property.

The items ranging from vehicles to antique furniture was stolen from the Badger area.

It was recovered near Exeter and two men are in custody.

The family hadn't visited the property for about a month. They discovered the thefts Saturday and most was recovered by Sunday.

Deputies recovered the property from three locations.

The total haul was four pickups, three SUVs, four motorcycles, dozens of chainsaws, along with TVs and antique furniture.

It had all been stored in several buildings near the foothill community of Badger on Whittaker Forest Road. The family discovered it all missing on Saturday. Most of the items had great sentimental value and belonged to a great-grandfather.

The total value was around $30,000. Two suspects were arrested. They're identified as Phillip Lowe, of Exeter and Nathan Reed of Lemon Cove. A third suspect is still being sought.

The crime occurred in Fresno County but the arrests were made in Tulare County. Sgt. Bobby Rader of the Tulare County Sheriff's Ag Crimes Unit won't say how detectives connected the suspects to the burglary but says it is gratifying to solve a case where the property really meant something to the victims.

"Yesterday was a very successful day, not in terms of monetary value but the looks on their faces, the idea they had something else to hang on to that belonged to their grandfather, they had memories of receiving these things from important family members, that's the real recovery," said Sgt. Rader.

It's a reminder that unattended rural properties are an easy target for thieves.