Stockton man stole gear from fire crews headed to Detwiler Fire, officers say

At least some of the firefighting equipment stolen earlier this week from crews battling the Detwiler Fire has been recovered, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.

Deputies began looking into the theft of equipment stolen from an engine parked overnight on Sunday at Quality Inn in Santa Nella, according to Deputy Daryl Allen. The crew was resting there in preparation of fighting the fire, he said.

Detectives put the word out to area agencies, and the Stockton-area California Highway Patrol said officers arrested Tyler Allen Huggins-Boyle, 30, of Stockton about 11 p.m. Monday. Officers found him in a car that was reported stolen, Allen said, and in the car was stolen firefighter equipment.

Firefighters said someone took hand-held radios, navy blue uniforms with names and patches on them, a weather meter and a spare key to the engine. They also took boots, pants and helmets marked with “RSF,” for Rancho Santa Fe in San Diego County.

CHP recovered equipment from Los Angeles, San Diego and Rancho Santa Fe teams, Allen said. Also in the car were items reported stolen from an air conditioning repair service. The total amount of stolen firefighting equipment was worth $25,000, according to investigators.

The equipment has been returned to the firefighter strike teams.

Allen said detectives are speaking with Merced police to determine if Huggins-Boyle was connected to the five fire engines burglarized in Merced.

Tyler is being held in San Joaquin County Jail without bail, according to jail records, on suspicion of misdemeanor obstruction of a first responder. He’s also suspected of illegally possessing a gun, possessing a stolen car and having drugs with intention to sell them, among other crimes.

This story was originally published July 27, 2017 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Stockton man stole gear from fire crews headed to Detwiler Fire, officers say."