August 23, 2026 – Kern County Sheriff’s Office officials report that on August 13, 2026, detectives from the Rural Crimes Investigations Unit and deputies from the Buttonwillow and Delano substations served a search warrant in the 16000 block of Wildwood Road at Wildwood Estates, outside the city of Wasco, related to a copper wire theft investigation.
During the service of the search warrant, detectives located Ramon Araujo (age 34), Amador Fraijo Villegas (age 49), Luis Osbaldo Valdez (age 31), and Martin Fernandez (age 44) on the property. During the search, deputies located eight firearms, including shotguns, handguns, and an AR-15-style rifle. Detectives also located approximately six pounds of suspected methamphetamine, along with items consistent with the sale of methamphetamine.
All four subjects were arrested on various charges, including PC 29800(a) – Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, PC 30305(a) – Prohibited Person in Possession of Ammunition, PC 487j – Grand Theft of Copper Materials, H&S 11378 – Possession of a Controlled Substance for Sale, and H&S 11370.1(a) – Possession of a Firearm While in Possession of a Controlled Substance, among other charges…