Tom Selleck was accused of stealing water from a fire hydrant and having it delivered to his sprawling ranch amid California's dire drought.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Calleguas Municipal Water District filed the complaint against Selleck and his wife Jillie in Ventura County Superior Court on Monday.
Notably, a private investigator hired by the district allegedly observed the "Magnum, P.I." star transport water siphoned from the hydrant on more than a dozen occasions since 2013.
Because the hydrant is technically located in Calleguas Municipal Water District, it is theft for Selleck and his wife to transport it to their property in the Hidden Valley Municipal Water District.
Calleguas sent cease-and-desist letters to the "Blue Bloods" star in November of 2013, then, after Selleck allegedly didn't stop, hired the P.I. to tail his hired hands.
Calleguas is now seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction barring the water theft, as well as legal fees and investigative costs. The P.I. reportedly cost nearly $22,000 — a seemingly exorbitant sum Selleck may have to repay.
Some news publications like
Time magazine said the Selleck water flap was perhaps the first instance of high-profile "drought shaming" since California asked residents to slash their water usage by 25 percent.
Selleck's 60-acre ranch is home to horses and an avocado grove, and the couple has lived there for several decades.
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