When people hear the term "cattle-rustling", images of the old-west come to mind.  Images like tumbleweeds blowing across dirt paths, toppled barb-wire fences and of course, crooked cowboys.  But, unfortunately, cattle-rustling is not just a tradition from centuries past.  Cases of people stealing cattle have shown up in the Dakota's, Oklahoma and Kentucky.  And now, a man in California has been arrested after a curious police officer noticed the alleged stolen calf in a somewhat unusual place.

Last week, a southern Californian police officer noticed Cesar Zamora Santana hanging around the outside of an auto body shop.  When the officer started looking around, he noticed that Santana had a calf in the backseat of his car.

The officer started questioning Santana about why he had a calf in the backseat of his car, and Santana told him that he had just purchased the animal.  Not totally sure if he believed Santana, the officer asked him where he had purchased the calf.  Santana replied that he had bought the 150-pound, female calf...not from a local farmer...but from a local gas station for just $200!

Noticing that the calf's identifying ear-tag had been removed and fully aware that calves were not for sale at the local gas station, the officer then arrested Santana on suspicion of transporting livestock without proof of ownership or identifying information.

The calf was removed from the backseat of the man's vehicle and placed with a local farmer until authorities could find out the real owner of the calf.

 

 

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