OAKHURST — An arrest has been made in a month’s-long commercial burglary investigation centering around the theft of a chainsaw last October from True Value Hardware.
On October 9, 2019, a man was captured on surveillance video walking into Bryant’s True Value in Oakhurst during regular business hours and stealing a 36-inch Stihl chainsaw.
The chainsaw was worth more than $1,300.
After the theft occurred, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office posted stills from the video on social media, requesting the community’s help in identifying the suspect. Based on tips received from the post, MCSO detectives were able to identify the suspect as 34-year-old Daniel Anthony Cruz of Madera.
The detectives, in cooperation with the Madera Sheriff’s POP Team, made diligent efforts to apprehend Cruz but the suspect was able to evade detention for the last several months.
Last week (Feb. 6), the Fresno Police Department apprehended Cruz during a routine traffic stop and turned him over to MCSO to be booked into the Madera County Jail.
Daniel Cruz was charged with commercial burglary, grand theft, and possession of burglary tools as well as additional charges relating to warrants for felony evading of a police officer probation violation.
Cruz remains in custody at the Madera County Department of Corrections.
