Surveillance footage of a taco truck robbery in Tulare County earlier this month that authorities suspect is actually insurance fraud. Photo via TCSO

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office arrested a taco truck owner on Monday on suspicion of burning his own truck for insurance money.

Deputies were originally called out Aug. 2 near West Caldwell Avenue in Visalia for a robbery at a taco truck. The sheriff’s office said owner Pablo Serrano told them the suspects took cash and his $80,000 taco truck during the robbery, which was caught on surveillance footage.

 

 

Detectives found the stolen truck in flames in an orchard near Woodlake, according to the sheriff’s office. In addition to the total loss of the truck, there was more than $10,000 in damage to the orchard.

The business was called Tacos El Mamon y sus Muñecos, according to social media.

“In the days following the robbery and arson, Detectives found evidence indicating that Serrano had staged the robbery with his friends to make an insurance claim on the $80,000 truck,” the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office reported on social media. “The day after the robbery, Serrano made an insurance claim for his burned vehicle.”

Serrano and a suspect named Juan Mendez were arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and arson. Serrano also faces an insurance fraud charge. One other suspect is still wanted for questioning.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office at 1-800-808-0488 or anonymously at tcso@tipnow.com or by text or voicemail at 559-725-4194.

The Visalia Stringer social media page reported that one of the suspects was arrested the night of the incident.

A message sent to Serrano seeking comment was not returned Monday afternoon.