Jury Convicts Christmas Tree Farmer Of Stealing, Spilling Diesel Fuel in Vineyards

A Sonoma County jury deliberated less than two hours before convicting a Graton man of spilling diesel he stole from a winery, prosecutors said Thursday.

After a four-day trial, Timothy Ray Davis, 49, was convicted in Sonoma County Superior Court of misdemeanor petty theft and felony disposal of a hazardous waste.

Davis used an all-terrain vehicle on April 12, 2013, to steal the diesel from the Paul Hobbs Winery on property owned by Gallo Vineyards at 4301 Frei Road in Graton, Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said.

The diesel spilled in the grapevines, on a road of Paul Hobbs Winery and on state Highway 116, Ravitch said. A winery employee noticed spilled diesel and more ATV tracks on April 25 and called the county sheriff’s office.

Deputy Bryan Jensen followed the spilled diesel and ATV tracks on foot across Highway 116 and to the Spirit of Christmas Tree Farm, Ravitch said. Jensen found the ATV and the diesel inside a homemade trailer.

The trailer was registered to Davis who owns the tree farm and lives on the property, Ravitch said. Davis admitted stealing the diesel on both days to run his generator, and spilling a barrel of it on that vineyard, Ravitch said.

He will be sentenced on Sept. 30.

--Bay City News