MADERA COUNTY – A Coarsegold man on parole for vehicular manslaughter in Arizona, is behind bars facing felony narcotic charges and vehicle theft.
Brandon Carl Whetten, 36, remains jailed on a no-bail hold after his arrest on Monday, Apr. 28, during a mountain probation search at his home on Wells Road.
An 8-foot long Caterpillar parked at a construction site on Glacier Court vanished sometime between Friday, Apr. 25 and Monday, Apr. 28. It is valued at $50,000.
As one deputy was taking a theft report on the stolen Caterpillar, another deputy was carrying out a probation sweep and discovered the missing tractor. In addition to the stolen tractor, deputies also discovered and eradicated 252 marijuana plants.
Whetten was taken into custody and booked into Madera County Department of Corrections. He is due to appear in court later this month.
