Missouri couple arrested for cattle theft
Friday, October 6, 2006, 12:53 PM
by Jason Vance
A Centralia couple was arrested this week for allegedly stealing 99 head of cattle from a farm in northern Audrain County in September. Lewis Bowers Jr. and his wife Deanna were taken into custody by officers of the Missouri Highway Patrol, the Missouri State Water Patrol and the Audrain County Sheriff's Department.
This is the latest in a series of arrests involving stolen cattle. Last month, Anthony Smith was arrested in connection with thefts of cattle in Cooper and Miller counties.
Although cattle rustling is nothing new, Audrain County Sheriff Stuart Miller says there has been an increase in Missouri over the past few years.
"There has been a big problem with cattle theft in Missouri, more so in southwestern Missouri than in the northern part of Missouri," Miller said. "However; we've had four thefts of cattle reported to us in the last year, year and a half."
Governor Matt Blunt created a Cattle Theft Task Force earlier this year and implemented the Missouri Information Analysis Center. Since it was started in February, more than 200 leads have been developed on more than 1,500 stolen cattle.
A tip from the center was part of what lead to the arrest of the Centralia couple. Miller says that the task force and center provides important additional resources to local sheriff's offices.
"They have a faster response with the sale barns throughout Missouri and even surrounding states," Miller said. "And officers can come in and provide manpower to assist the sheriff's offices in the investigation."
The suspects have posted bail and will appear in Audrain County court later this year.
Friday, October 6, 2006, 12:53 PM
by Jason Vance
A Centralia couple was arrested this week for allegedly stealing 99 head of cattle from a farm in northern Audrain County in September. Lewis Bowers Jr. and his wife Deanna were taken into custody by officers of the Missouri Highway Patrol, the Missouri State Water Patrol and the Audrain County Sheriff's Department.
This is the latest in a series of arrests involving stolen cattle. Last month, Anthony Smith was arrested in connection with thefts of cattle in Cooper and Miller counties.
Although cattle rustling is nothing new, Audrain County Sheriff Stuart Miller says there has been an increase in Missouri over the past few years.
"There has been a big problem with cattle theft in Missouri, more so in southwestern Missouri than in the northern part of Missouri," Miller said. "However; we've had four thefts of cattle reported to us in the last year, year and a half."
Governor Matt Blunt created a Cattle Theft Task Force earlier this year and implemented the Missouri Information Analysis Center. Since it was started in February, more than 200 leads have been developed on more than 1,500 stolen cattle.
A tip from the center was part of what lead to the arrest of the Centralia couple. Miller says that the task force and center provides important additional resources to local sheriff's offices.
"They have a faster response with the sale barns throughout Missouri and even surrounding states," Miller said. "And officers can come in and provide manpower to assist the sheriff's offices in the investigation."
The suspects have posted bail and will appear in Audrain County court later this year.