Tom Selleck accused of stealing hydrant water for his sprawling ranch

LOS ANGELES — Actor Tom Selleck had truckloads of water from a public hydrant delivered to his sprawling Hidden Valley ranch, according to court documents filed against the veteran actor by a Ventura County water district.

The Calleguas Municipal Water District said in a 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 percent.

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.