23 Cattle Worth $150,000 Reported Stolen in East Texas
Twenty-three black Angus cattle valued at more than $150,000 are believed to have been stolen from a Van Zandt County ranch. The cattle were reported missing August 31, and investigators found evidence that led them to believe the animals may have been taken rather than simply wandering away. According to KETK, nearly two dozen black angus cattle were reported missing to the Van Zandt County Sheriff's Office on Monday, August 31.
23 Cattle Missing From Van Zandt County Ranch
East Texas rancher Christopher Daddario noticed that 23 of his 169 cattle were missing which is not unusual just due to that fact that the sheriff's office receives more than 1,000 animal complaints a year. But this call was different, investigators found that this was not just another call about missing livestock.
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Why Investigators Believe the Cattle Were Stolen
Captain Brandon Kilpatrick of the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office said, “We did find where there was a panel of a fence missing. But, there were no tracks going in and out of that location or there was also no manure on the ground, which led us to determine that we’re dealing with probably a cattle theft here.”
The 23 registered black angus cattle are valued at more than $150,000 making this theft a possible felony charge for whoever is responsible.
As we all know cattle are a rancher's business, it's how they provide for their families. There is lots of money attached to the missing cattle. Sometimes people attempt a theft like this and try to sell the cattle to other ranchers.
No suspect has been identified. But Daddario and the sheriff's office is wanting people to share the information in hopes of locating the missing cattle.
How to Identify the Missing Cattle
Some of the cattle will have a big T and a K, others will have a K and A and some will have a J and a P. There is also a big white number of branding on the side of them. The cattle also had ear tags with identifying numbers. Some of the missing cattle are heifers that are expecting calves.
Anyone with information should call the Texas Southwestern Cattle Ranchers Association at 817-916-1775 or contact Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office.
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