FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 8, 2016
Contact: Laramie Adams
Cell: 512-922-7328
Claremore, Okla. – A second suspect, Robbie Don Ellis, 24, of Claremore, Okla., was arrested on a felony warrant in Nevada, MO on Dec. 26, 2015 after stealing a baby calf from a Rogers County, Okla. rancher.
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Special Ranger John Cummings led the investigation and TSCRA Special Ranger Bart Perrier assisted. According to Cummings, the investigation began on Oct. 21, 2015 when a baby calf was consigned at the Vinita, Okla. livestock auction. The employees at the livestock auction said they became suspicious when a malnourished new-born calf was unloaded from inside the cab of a pickup driven by Ellis and the other suspect, Jenny Lynn Davis, 36, of Claremore, Okla.
The livestock auction staff contacted Cummings and an investigation was initiated. According to Cummings, the investigation revealed that the calf was stolen from a ranch located in Rogers County, where the suspects were temporarily living. The victim stated that he knew the calf was recently born but was unaware it had been stolen from his property.
The case was presented to the Rogers County District Attorney’s Office and both Ellis and Davis were each charged with one count of larceny of a domestic animal on Dec. 2, 2015. Davis quickly surrendered to authorities and was released on bond. Ellis had remained at large until information surfaced that he was in the Nevada, Missouri area. On Jan. 8, 2016, Cummings received word that Ellis was located and arrested by the Nevada police department on Dec. 26, 2015. Ellis is jailed in the Vernon County, MO jail pending extradition back to Oklahoma.
TSCRA would like to thank the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office Investigators Sgt. Gavin Gatrell and Sgt. Kyle Baker and the Nevada, MO Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.
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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 139-year-old trade association and is the largest and oldest livestock organization based in Texas. TSCRA has more than 17,000 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.