Police say an organized fruit theft ring appears to be stealing large amounts of fruit from orchards.
At least 3 thefts have occurred recently, at apple orchards in Fenton and in Indiana.
In St. Clair County, hundreds of pumpkins were stolen from McCallum’s Orchard.
The owner, Ray Peltier, says many of the stolen pumpkins were small and unique. Some of them are meant as household decorations.
“They knew how to get to the pumpkins, they knew how to pull right up to the pumpkins. But at a market you want a larger pumpkin,” Peltier says.
Peltier says he thinks the thieves would try to sell the stolen fruit.