Most people would have thought cattle rustlers have gone the way of the cowboy.
But authorities in Riverside County have arrested a man suspected of stealing five cows, a bull and three calves from the Morongo Reservation, valued at more than $3,600.00.
Forty-seven-year-old Steven Seick, of Cherry Valley, was arrested after he attempted to sell the stolen cattle through an auction house in Ontario.
Seick allegedly tried to conceal the cattles’ origin by altering their brands.
“What he did not know is there are people specifically trained to read brands on the animal. Even though they were altered they were able to identify they were stolen,” said Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
Gutierrez said Seick was subsequently arrested and the cattle were reunited with their proper owners.
Seick allegedly enlisted the help of at least one juvenile. Authorities said the juvenile was released to his parents, but charges are pending.
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Seick has been charged with six counts of grand theft of cattle. Sgt. Gutierrez says Seick should consider himself fortunate.
“One hundred fifty years ago justice would have been carried out a little differently, than him just sitting behind the bars of the jail,” he said.
According to a Reuters report, cattle rustling is a "small but growing problem."
In Texas, cattle rustling reports tripled between 2007 and 2008. That's 6,404 heads of missing cattle, according to a spokeswoman for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.
