AVOCADO THEFT SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN ORCHARD.

Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer

Four people suspected of stealing 500 pounds of avocados from a Somis orchard were arrested Sunday in what authorities say is the third such case in three weeks.

Sal Lorenzana, 19, of Bell Gardens; Humberto Lopez, 46, of Fontana; and Armando Diaz, 23, of Lester were arrested on suspicion of grand theft of farm crops, said Lt. Gary Cook of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

Maria Lopez, 44, of Fontana was arrested on suspicion of a related charge, officials said.

All four were in Ventura County Jail on Sunday - Humberto Lopez and Diaz in lieu of $10,000 bail; Lorenzana in lieu of $100,000 and Maria Lopez in lieu of $5,000 bail, authorities said.

``Agricultural crimes are really big business,'' Cook said. ``The farmer is the one who pays. This could force him out of business if it's widespread.''

Officials said an avocado theft was in progress when they arrived at a grove on Price Road, north of Highway 118, soon after 1:14 a.m. Sunday.

Deputies said they sealed off the orchard and caught one suspect immediately with the help of a dog. Two other suspects were arrested as they attempted to flee from the ranch, authorities said. Authorities said the fourth suspect was taken into custody a few hours later when he allegedly came to the orchard to pick up stolen fruit.

A recent rise in avocado theft has prompted the Sheriff's Department to assign detectives specifically to agricultural crimes, Cook said.

The theft Sunday was small compared with those in the past, Cook said. The most recent market price for avocados is 85 to 90 cents a pound, rancher Mark Borchard said.

The price of the fruit typically starts climbing in the summer and is highest in the fall, said Borchard, a fifth-generation Somis avocado grower and member of the California Avocado Commission's board of directors.

When the price goes up, avocado theft is common, he said.

``When the avocados are cheap, they don't steal too many,'' Borchard said.

Ventura County produces 23.3 percent of California's avocado harvest, ranking second behind San Diego's 47.5 percent, according to the state agricultural commissioner's staff.

Last year, 15,497 acres of avocados with a gross value of almost $69.6 million were harvested in Ventura County, officials said.

Agricultural thieves are drawn to avocados because they are relatively easy to pick and are a high-priced fruit, Cook explained. Thieves typically sell the avocados to small markets, restaurants or roadside stands.

In San Diego, the boom in avocado thefts has prompted authorities to set up a special unit to guard orchards, according to Sgt. Hernando Torres of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

``It's green gold,'' Torres said.