Couple sentenced for poaching hundreds of succulents from Garrapata State Park

UPDATE 2/1/2019: The couple responsible for poaching succulents from Garrapata State Park has been sentenced.

49-year-old Guanrong Rivera and 64-year-old Jose Luis Rivera were sentenced for illegally poaching succulents off the coast of Garrapata State Park.

Jose Rivera entered a no contest plea to illegally taking plants from Garrapata State Park, a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to 40 days in the county jail, three years of informal probation, a $4,018 fine, and ordered to stay away from all national and state parks within the State of California.

Guanrong Rivera entered no contest pleas to grand theft, a felony; vandalism, a felony; and illegally taking plants from Garrapata State park, a misdemeanor. She was immediately sentenced to three years of formal probation and ordered to serve 179 days in the county jail, pay a $9,999.90 fine, pay a $10,000 contribution to CDFW, pay restitution to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, forfeit all seized succulents, and to stay away from all national and state parks within the State of California.

The Riveras may serve their jail sentences under an alternative program if eligible.
The case was investigated by CDFW’s Special Operations Unit.

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UPDATE 5/14/2018 6:10 p.m.: A Carmel Valley mother’s vigilance helped bust up a plant theft operation in Southern California.

Jade Davis happened to be at the right place at the right time several weeks ago, when she pulled over along Highway 1 in the Garrapata area to get something in the backseat.

After a few minutes parked on the side of the road, something caught her eye, she said. A man and a woman carrying plastic bags towards their car.

“They didn’t really seem to care if anybody was watching but they also looked like everyone else,” Davis recounted. “There was a soil bag that first caught my attention and that was when I noticed them loading things in and out of the vehicle and I couldn’t quite see so we watched just in case it was abalone, but they had no gear or anything like that but then I saw the plant, a Dudleya.”

Davis said that’s when she confronted the couple, who blew her off before they took off. She contacted the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, who turned the case over to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Her photos led investigators to a home in Palmdale.

“We were able to put a case together on a house in Palmdale, California, which is far removed from Big Sur and located hundreds of plants, so it was a really, really good tip,” said Captain Patrick Foy with the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Some 600 plants were found in the home, but there’s no word if they are all from Monterey County. Investigators were trying to identify each of the species in the home.

No one has been arrested yet. The case is still ongoing and will be forwarded to the proper district attorney’s office.

Fish and Wildlife believe the plants are being shipped to China and Korea, where they sell for $40-$50 apiece. Poaching these plants are not a big problem for the local market, where the succulents are readily available for decent prices.

Stealing the plants from the wild can cause irreparable harm – erosion.

“So you’re having these plants that are up to 50 years old being ripped out by the thousands, it’s going to take decades for them to recover,” Foy said. “And it creates erosion problems because it’s just bare dirt with no roots that are holding the soil together so the next time it rains, everything just washes down over the cliff.”

“It’s all of our duty to help keep these area the way it is, or else none of it will be left if everyone takes something home with them, then there’s nothing left for everybody else,” Davis said.

As for the plants seized, the ultimate goal is to bring them back to Big Sur and replant them.

Fish and Wildlife believe this could be the first case of its kind in Monterey County.

In terms of fines and punishments, poaching plants is a misdemeanor. Each violation carries a maximum fine of $1,000 and six months in jail.

If anyone ever sees poaching of plants or animals, they’re urged to call the CalTIP hotline at 1-888-334-2258.

ORIGINAL POST: A Carmel Valley woman’s vigilance helped bust up a plant theft operation in southern California.

Jade Davis was at the right place at the right time several weeks ago when she pulled over along Highway 1 in the Garrapata area to get something in the backseat of her car. She saw something that looked suspicious and stuck around to watch.

Davis took pictures showing a man and woman carry plastic bags filled with Dudleyas — those are succulents grown along the California coastline. They’re very popular in Chinese and Korean markets right now, sold for about $40 to $50 a piece.

Davis confronted the suspects and they took off. She sent the pictures to the California Department of Fish and Game, who launched an investigation.

“We were able to put a case together on a house in Palmdale, California, which is far removed from Big Sur and located hundreds of plants, so it was a really good tip,” said Capt. Patrick Foy, California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.

“It’s all of our duty to help keep these areas the way it is, or else none of it will be left if everyone takes something home with them, then there’s nothing left for everybody else,” said Davis.

About 600-plants were found in the suspect’s home. No word if they’re all from Monterey County. No one has been arrested yet. The case is still ongoing and will be forwarded to the proper district attorney’s office.

As for the recovered plants, the ultimate goal is to bring them back to Big Sur and replant them.

If you see any poaching whether it’s fishing, animals or plants please call the CalTIP hotline at 1-888-334-2258.

KION’s Mariana Hicks has the full story at 6 p.m.