Santa Nella Suspect Arrested
December 5, 2025 – Merced County Sheriff's Office officials report that on December 3, 2025, Deputy Casas took a report of a vehicle burglary from a Semi-Truck that occurred in the 12300 block of Hwy 33 in Santa Nella. The victim reported that lights from a movie set were stolen, costing between $35,000 and $50,000. Deputy Casas, along with our Detective Bureau, worked diligently to gather information on the location of the stolen property.
During the investigation, Detectives obtained information on possible locations. Around 9:00 P.M., Detectives and Deputies served two search warrants, at a residence in the area of Henry Miller/Hwy. 33 and a residence in the Santa Nella trailer park. An array of stolen property was located at both residences that were associated with other cases. Moreover, the movie set lighting equipment was located at the residence in the trailer park.
A suspect, identified as Aaron Avila, 37, from Santa Nella, was arrested and booked into the Merced County Sheriff's Office Jail for possession of stolen property. Great job to our Patrol Deputies and Detective Bureau for their hard work in locating the stolen property. The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Darren Stevens at 209.385.7472.
Source & photos: Merced County Sheriff's Office
