For Immediate Release: Sept. 9, 2013
Contact: Carmen Fenton, 512-673-3906
Coldsprings, Texas – Two San Jacinto County suspects turned themselves in today after they were accused of stealing three head of cattle from a San Jacinto County rancher. Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Special Ranger Brent Mast led the investigation. TSCRA Special Ranger Jimmy Belt assisted.
Joshua Sykes, 38, and Crystal Richardson, 33, are each being held on a $25,000 bond in the San Jacinto County Jail.
According to Mast, Sykes and Richardson attempted to sell the cattle Aug. 24 at the Navasota Livestock Auction. The cattle were branded with the victim’s brand, and had been reported stolen.
The cattle were recovered and returned to the owner.
“These cattle were branded, which made them easy to spot,” said Mast. “We constantly remind ranchers that branded cattle are the quickest to track down and recover in the event that they are stolen.”
TSCRA would like to thank Capt. Butch Davis and Investigator Stephen Cole, Walker County Sheriff’s Office, Investigators Daniel Wagnom and J.J. Jones, Grimes County Sheriff’s Office, and the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office for their help with this case.
For a picture of the suspects, please contact the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Office.
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TSCRA has 30 special rangers stationed strategically throughout Texas and Oklahoma who have in-depth knowledge of the cattle industry and are trained in all facets of law enforcement. All are commissioned as Special Rangers by the Texas Department of Public Safety and/or the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
TSCRA is a 136 year-old trade association and is the largest and oldest livestock organization based in Texas. TSCRA has more than 16,000 beef cattle operations, ranching families and businesses as members. These members represent approximately 50,000 individuals directly involved in ranching and beef production who manage 4 million head of cattle on 76 million acres of range and pasture land primarily in Texas and Oklahoma, but throughout the Southwest.