Did 'Magnum P.I.' star Tom Selleck steal truckloads of hydrant water? A real P.I. was on case
The vehicle used for the alleged pilfering of water from a Ventura County water district's fire hydrant was a white water-tender truck -- not a red Ferrari driven by a mustachioed man wearing a Detroit Tigers baseball cap and a Hawaiian shirt.
But in a complaint, the Calleguas Municipal Water District points the finger at former "Magnum P.I." star Tom Selleck. And they say they hired a real P.I. to prove it.
Selleck had huge amounts of water from a public hydrant delivered to his sprawling Hidden Valley ranch, according to court documents filed against the veteran actor.
The Calleguas Municipal Water District said in its complaint filed Monday in Ventura County Superior Court that on more than a dozen occasions since 2013, a white truck filled up at a Thousand Oaks hydrant and hauled the water to Selleck’s 60-acre ranch in Westlake Village.
To document the alleged theft, the water district spent nearly $22,000 to hire a private investigator, according to the complaint.
Calleguas says the "Magnum, P.I." and "Blue Bloods" star and his wife, Jillie, who is also named in the complaint, are barred from using water from the hydrant because their property is located in a different water district, Hidden Valley Municipal Water District.
Selleck and his wife have lived for nearly three decades at the ranch, which also includes an avocado farm. The complaint comes as California's historic drought drags on and residents are tasked with slashing water use by 25%.
Before filing the complaint, the water district tried to get Selleck to halt the unlawful water deliveries. In November 2013, Calleguas sent cease-and-desist letters to both Selleck’s home and an Avenue of the Stars address that’s linked to the property, according to court papers.
As recently as March 2015, the water truck was spotted filling up at the same hydrant and delivering water to Selleck’s estate on four separate days, according to the complaint.
In addition to legal fees and investigative costs, the water district is seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction barring Selleck and his contractors or employees from taking water from the Calleguas district.
A representative for Selleck could not be reached for comment.
Water supply was an issue in the upscale area during the last major drought in 1991.
Anna Guzman, has a clear view of the Thousand Oaks fire hydrant from her front yard. She said she's seen a big construction truck drive by on multiple mornings over the years around 6 in the morning to fill up a huge tank on the back.
Guzman said one man usually retrieves an industrial sized hose from a container on the empty lot. The truck stopped coming about two weeks ago, she said.
Her daughter, Alejandra Yela, who lives with her mom, wondered why officials didn't step in sooner if water was being drawn surreptitiously for Selleck.
"He's so entitled," Yela said. "That's so illegal, especially how we're in a drought, and everyone's trying to save water. That's crazy."
Rick Kaiser, who also lives near the hydrant, said a truck from Burns Pacific Construction regularly takes water. Kaiser said he thought the water retrieval was legitimate because the construction company owns the vacant property where the hydrant is located.
He's seen the truck at least " a dozen times" over the last year and a half, he said.
"I haven't seen anything mischievous going on," he said. "It's always the same guy and truck."
Asked if anyone knew about water being taken from a hydrant near their property, a receptionist at Burns Pacific Construction went to a room, came back and said, "We have no comment."
Times staff writer Sarah Parvini contributed to this report.
MORE DROUGHT NEWS:
Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles TimesUPDATE
1:50 p.m.: This post was updated with comments from people who live near the hydrant and an employee at a construction company.
8 a.m.: This post was updated with background on earlier water issues.
This post was originally published at 3:59 a.m.
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