Fallbrook homeowners say state crossed line over citrus trees removal

A Fallbrook couple says California state agriculture employees went onto their private property and threatened to arrest them over their fruit trees, raising concerns about how far the state will go to protect against a dangerous bug and disease that kills citrus crops.

Phil and Elizabeth Rupprecht contacted NBC 7 after watching a story that aired earlier this week about state agriculture employees destroying a citrus crop in Escondido. They say their situation is similar — and deeply troubling.

Phil Rupprecht recently cut down 10 fruit trees on his Fallbrook property, some of them nearly 30 years old.

“They were the most delicious pink grapefruit you ever tasted in your life,” Rupprecht said.

The couple says California agriculture inspectors found one tree infected with the Asian citrus psyllid bug and a disease that kills fruit trees about 250 yards from their property more than a year ago. According to the Rupprechts, all of their trees were tested.

“And they tested negative. But then, they came back and wanted to spray our property anyways,” Elizabeth Rupprecht said.

The couple says they came home one day to find state agriculture employees already on their land.

“They came on our property to test and we weren’t home,” Phil Rupprecht said.

“Discovered them in our front yard, taking pieces off of our tree,” Elizabeth Rupprecht said.

“I felt invaded,” Phil Rupprecht said. “It’s our Fourth Amendment going to, you know, going to pot.”

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects individuals against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government and requires warrants supported by probable cause.

Elizabeth Rupprecht said the experience was unsettling.

“It’s very disconcerting to come home and find someone on your property,” she said.

Phil Rupprecht says the state did have a warrant and gave him three options: allow chemical spraying, destroy the trees himself, or go to jail.

“Put me in handcuffs and arrest me,” Rupprecht said.

Rupprecht says California Highway Patrol officers were prepared to arrest him and that the trees would be destroyed regardless.

“I was like, ‘Guys. Really? Come on. This is America,’” he said.

In the case that aired earlier in the week from Escondido, the state found a few infected trees five miles away from Mark Collins’ Evergreen Wholesale two years ago.

Both Collins and the Rupprechts acknowledge the threat posed by the bug and the disease, which have wiped out entire fruit crops.

“I do, but work with us a little,” Phil Rupprecht pleaded.

The couple says they refused to allow chemical spraying due to environmental concerns.

“The sprays that they’re spraying goes down the hill, goes into the water system,” Elizabeth Rupprecht said.

“There’s a major river right there. All these poisons are running down into that river,” Phil Rupprecht said.

Instead, the couple chose what they describe as the lesser of three evils.

“We had to take them out ourselves at our cost,” Phil Rupprecht said.

Phil Rupprecht says cutting down the trees was the only way to prevent chemical spraying, protect nearby waterways, and avoid jail.

State agriculture employees later returned with CHP officers to inspect the property again.

“My property. Our personal residential property,” Elizabeth Rupprecht said.

“More overreach,” Phil Rupprecht said.

NBC 7 reached out several times to state agriculture officials for comment on this case and the previous Escondido story. Officials did not respond.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.