ECSO Locates Suspects Caught On Camera Stealing From Local Farmer; Corn And Peanuts Recovered

November 24, 2021

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has located three people suspected of stealing from a Walnut Hill farmer that was selling his products on the honor system.

Three people were caught on camera early last Friday morning stealing 27 bags of deer corn, peanuts and ear corn being sold at the farmer’s roadside bin and barn on South Highway 99 in Walnut Hill. They can be seen on surveillance video loading up the bags into a van that was later determined to be yellow. Part of that video, first posted by NorthEscambia.com on Monday, is below.

By Tuesday, investigators had tracked down the three suspects. According to Wesley Eicher of Eicher Farms, deputies recovered about two dozen bags of corn and peanuts that were returned to him Tuesday night.

“They brought the bags back to me tonight,” Eicher told NorthEscambia.com Tuesday night. “I’m glad the deputies found them and appreciate their work.”

The ECSO is expected to seek arrest warrants for the trio; their names have not yet been released because they have yet been formally charged with any crime.

We will keep you updated on the progress of this case.

Images and video for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

36 Responses to “ECSO Locates Suspects Caught On Camera Stealing From Local Farmer; Corn And Peanuts Recovered”

  1. sam on November 27th, 2021 8:24 am

    they knew they had been caught. without the video, nothing gets returned.

  2. Willard Ward on November 26th, 2021 11:35 am

    One thing about this place is when you pay on the honor system you have to stand there and stuff the money in the box. That takes a couple minutes. You stand in front of the camera, hold the money up so it can be seen, like the instructions tell you to do, then stuff the money in the box. Often I have to count out what I’m paying so I stand in front of the camera when I do. The point is it takes enough time that if your with someone or someone is waiting, your seen going through the steps. So the ole claim by a thief that “I’m innocent, he said he paid” doesn’t work with me. Every criminal is innocent, it’s just a cold hard fact, the jails are full of innocent people. Birds of a feather flock together. The old sayings people ignore these days came to be just for that reason. The facts are, three people were there, the three of them loaded and drove off. If there were the slightest doubt in mind that someone I was with didn’t do as he said I would question him. I’m very sorry the other two are innocent as a morning dove.

  3. Kyle Coggins on November 25th, 2021 10:57 pm

    They all need about a 2 year Camp Five Vacation…

  4. Oh brother on November 25th, 2021 10:34 pm

    Two are innocent?

    Sounds like some convict logic. Think if one admits then others get off.

    That may be so, but I’ve never had to help a friend move something at 350am in the dark of the night.

  5. Robinhood on November 25th, 2021 11:27 am

    Allen,

    Did your friends not question WHY picking up at early hours of the morning. That would have set off an alarm with me and would have questioned about picking up at weird hours of AM. should have asked questions before helping the guy out. They will learn from their mistake hopefully.

  6. Glad they found him on November 25th, 2021 8:17 am

    Glad they got caught, what’s crazy apparently this guy has a better surveillance system than CVS. Speaking of CVS that one kinda favors the person who robbed CVS… You don’t mess with country folk better be glad they got caught by deputies!

  7. Stephen on November 24th, 2021 4:57 pm

    We should handle thieves like they do in Saudi Arabia.

  8. Allen on November 24th, 2021 3:37 pm

    Choose your friends wisely two of the people in that video are innocent the other person told them he paid on the honor System for the stuff they took they were unaware they were doing anything wrong

  9. Robihood on November 24th, 2021 11:33 am

    My Dad taught me at a very young tinder age, IF you LIE you will STEAL and CHEAT. They all go together as being dishonest. stole a toy when I was a kid and my MOM took me back into store and made me give it back. Store clerk tried her best to let me have it BUT my mother was having none of that. Mom whooped my butt right there in the store. Embarrassed ME and I never forgot that lesson in life. THANK YOU Mom Me Dad for teaching me and especially for all those whoppings I voted in life. Made me a better person in the long run. Thanks to good parents I stayed out of trouble because I knew there would be consequences for my bad behavior. There the book at them

  10. Rasheed Jackson on November 24th, 2021 11:16 am

    Those 27 bags of deer food are going to cost them a lot more than $135, which would have been $45 each had they split the cost 3 ways. Stupid is as Stupid does. I would call them The Three Stupids.

  11. Bag on November 24th, 2021 10:45 am

    That’s the second or third time meth heads have been videotaped stealing from this man. Great camera system and thanks ecso. Bet it will be quiet around there thanksgiving dinner.

  12. JODY on November 24th, 2021 10:26 am

    I think jail is too good for them. They stole 27 bags of produce. Make them work in the fields to help the farmer plant his next crop. What were they planning on doing with the bags? FOOLS !!!

  13. LD on November 24th, 2021 10:24 am

    I would think the farmer would want the thieves as far away from him and his farm as possible. Who would want to be around them. Let the system work just hope justice is done.

  14. john on November 24th, 2021 10:15 am

    All it takes is to steal (one) of those bags for God to condemn them to Hell on judgment day. Just One!

    I hope they get right with God through to only one that can save them! Jesus.

  15. Good grief on November 24th, 2021 10:04 am

    I agree BT they need to be in jail not out “working” for the farmer or for a food bank. They are low down sorry thieves. They should be LOCKED UP!

  16. Steve on November 24th, 2021 9:35 am

    Life is hard, it is twice as hard when you stupid. And why steal? A few hours of honest work and you could have paid for all that you stole. No one would know you are a thief either. Unlike now where we seen your face and vehicle. You are doomed to bask in the misery of being caught red handed.
    My suggestion be humble, ask for forgiveness, be willing to make restitution in what ever form the victim feels that will make him whole.

    Farm work is hard work and get ready to help plant next years BAGS OF CORN AND BEANS>

  17. BT on November 24th, 2021 9:30 am

    Well I hope it was worth it. Ya know a thief and a liar goes hand in hand. Birds of a feather will flock together. You are known by the company you keep. With that being said. Convict and let them simmer in jail for a little while!!!!!!!

  18. Susie on November 24th, 2021 9:28 am

    The THIEVES made a plan to steal from this hard working man (and his family) then they carried it out. They had no intention of returning anything…..they got caught! The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is awesome. You thieves out there should know that by now but you’re just as dumb as one of those bags of corn.

  19. just a thought on November 24th, 2021 9:16 am

    I think they should be sentenced to work for the farmer for a year. Work his fields, help to maintain his equipment and clean his buildings. This would be a fitting punishment for these fools……..just a thought. Also, revoke their hunting licenses for that period or until they have satisfied there crime in the eyes of that farmer. Publish names soon!

  20. W. Ward on November 24th, 2021 9:15 am

    Now that’s good news! Thanks to North Escambia for publishing the original story and following up! Thanks to ESCO for a job well done!!!!! The deputies deserve credit. Thanks also to anyone else who helped. The people who live and work in this community are good people. The only way we will keep crime down is to stand together, kick the low life’s out, support our sheriff deputies, and support our neighbors.

    The only thing we need to know now is the names of the thieves. Not for retribution by any means, but to know who the low life’s are. In time the thieves will be forgotten and the incident in the past but the names applied to the faces will assure they are never welcome at my house or in the company of people I trust. To forgive is Devine but to forget is asking for it to happen again.

  21. NPC on November 24th, 2021 8:59 am

    Why not have them load bags for the farmer for a year since they are efficient at loading bags?

  22. TJ on November 24th, 2021 8:46 am

    Please post arrest pictures of these thieves. Give the “ECSO” five stars for their fast work.

  23. Mike on November 24th, 2021 8:46 am

    Great job ECSO. Please post up pictures and names of the perps.

  24. Deborah Daugherty on November 24th, 2021 8:36 am

    Good job to the ESCO for catching these sorry worthless thieves..Thank you..

  25. tg on November 24th, 2021 8:34 am

    Now its time for Saudi Justice cut off their hands.

  26. tom lunsford on November 24th, 2021 8:33 am

    @Carl,
    Great idea having the crooks work for the famer. They must be hunters to be taking that kind of material, so, make them work every weekend and their days off from work for the farmer until hunting season is over.

  27. Bama89 on November 24th, 2021 8:32 am

    Guess these “GOOD OL BOYS” aren’t so good!

  28. Local on November 24th, 2021 8:13 am

    Book’em Danno!

  29. Bill Leonard on November 24th, 2021 7:18 am

    Have them pick up trash along the roads in the North end of the county wearing a sign “I’m a thief”

  30. Whisperjet on November 24th, 2021 7:10 am

    ..great work ECSO….How about 100 hours picking up trash on hwy. 97 and.129…

  31. Just Me on November 24th, 2021 7:04 am

    Good job ECSO! Judge needs to make their sentences very embarrassing for each of them..Something like work for that farmer for community service.

  32. sam on November 24th, 2021 6:56 am

    Great job ECSO!

  33. KK on November 24th, 2021 5:47 am

    Even though they returned what was stolen, I hope whatever punishment they face is stiff enough but they don’t ever steal from a hard-working man again.

  34. Carl on November 24th, 2021 4:56 am

    They need to serve at a food bank and homeless shelter for a year
    They are not honest people..the camera is honest.
    This is what our youth learn from
    Very sad indeed.
    Also need a year working for that farmer.

  35. Luis Santos on November 24th, 2021 3:20 am

    I hate a thief, thieves can never be trusted

  36. Jason on November 24th, 2021 2:06 am

    Great news! Hopefully this incident gets resolved to the satisfaction of the farmer.