SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY – Three people were arrested for allegedly stealing cherries and selling them at fruit stands across California, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said on Sunday. 

Deputies responded to an agricultural area near Waterloo and Fairfield, where they say they found three people picking and stealing cherries. The suspects had over $2,000 worth of stolen cherries and caused about $2,000 worth of crop damage, the sheriff's office said. 

During the investigation, deputies said the suspects were tied to a string of similar thefts across multiple counties and were allegedly selling the cherries at fruit stands.

"This was a big deal. They were organized. They knew exactly what they were doing," said Andrew Genasci, executive director of the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau. "The paper they had, they were moving south state up to north. This was big money."  

Deputies said they seized thousands of dollars in cash.

The suspects were booked on felony charges that include theft, conspiracy and agricultural crimes.

"This wasn't just a petty pick-it was a well-organized produce plunder," the sheriff's office said.

• San Joaquin County