Kings County man accused of breaking into shop, fleeing in U-Haul truck
Above: Christopher Diaz booking photo | Kings County Sheriff’s Office
A Kings County man was arrested after allegedly breaking into a shop and attacking the shop owner with a U-Haul truck.
On the morning of Friday, September 9, deputies responded to the 2000 block of 9th Avenue in Hanford to investigate an alleged burglary at a local shop.
The owner of the shop told deputies that he’d been tending his fields when he saw a U-Haul truck parked next to the shop. Having been the victim of theft in the past and fearing this was the case yet again, the man approached the U-Haul in his own vehicle.
The driver of the U-Haul then allegedly put the truck in reverse and tried to ram the shop owner’s vehicle, forcing the shop owner to swerve to avoid a collision. The driver of the U-Haul then put the truck in drive and sped away, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The shop owner briefly pursued the U-Haul until the driver stopped, put it in reverse again, tried to ram the shop owner again, then sped away, ultimately losing the shop owner after leaving the roadway.
The shop owner then returned to the shop to find that it had indeed been broken into, and that the suspect had attempted to steal a classic car from inside. Shoe impressions and paint transfer from pry marks on the door were found at the scene, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Police throughout the area were given a description of the U-Haul and its direction of travel. Soon after, a deputy pulled over a U-Haul in the area of Kansas Avenue and Highway 43, which turned out to be the wrong one. As the deputy made contact with the occupants, a second U-Haul reportedly came speeding by. The deputy broadcast the second U-Haul’s whereabouts, and a deputy sheriff caught up with it just as it was pulling into the parking lot of Tachi Palace and Casino, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Both the driver, identified as Christopher Diaz, and his passenger, identified as Bretney Gosvenor, were detained. Diaz was arrested after the shoe impressions from the shop were found to match his shoes, and deputies also found a yellow crowbar in the truck. Burglary tools, methamphetamine, and a loaded syringe were also found in the truck, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Diaz reportedly later admitted during questioning that he’d broken into the shop. He has since been booked at the Kings County Jail on multiple charges including assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, vandalism, and committing a felony while free on bail.
His passenger, Gosvener, was cited for possession of a controlled substance after reportedly admitting the methamphetamine was hers.
