Santa Paula Police Provide Update on Water Reservoir Investigation Thursday

SANTA PAULA, Calif. – Santa Paula police released an update Thursday on their investigation into a trespassing incident on city water reservoir property Monday.

According to Santa Paula police, a Santa Paula Public Works employee was conducting a daily inspection of the reservoir around 2:30 p.m. on Monday and discovered a removed strainer and clothing in the reservoir area.

Detectives responded and found that a small area adjacent to the underground water storage facility on North 10th Street had been “disturbed.” However, no individuals were encountered at the time, no arrests have been made since the incident, and no evidence of any intent to damage the storage facility or compromise the city’s water supply was found, Santa Paula police said in a news release Thursday.

The city of Santa Paula issued a no water warning for about half of the city out of an abundance of caution, which was lifted on Tuesday.

According to Santa Paula Police, evidence at the scene led detectives to question a suspect who may have been involved in the incident. However, the investigation is ongoing and detectives are currently looking for additional suspects.

A security check of the site is currently underway, Santa Paula police said.

Anyone who notices anything suspicious in the area is asked to contact Santa Paula Police Department detectives at 805-525-4474, extension 155.