BELLE CHASSE, La. (AP) - Four Louisiana men were arrested on allegations they stole, shot and killed two Asian water buffalo owned by a local rancher, the state agriculture department said.
Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain said the suspects harvested the meat, hide and heads of the buffalo, worth an estimated $10,000, that were stolen in Plaquemines Parish.
The arrested men, according to the agriculture department, were: 30-year-old Andrew Crawford, of Braithwaite; 35-year-old Billy W. Johnson, Jr., of Buras; 37-year-old Randall J. Siebert, of Saint Bernard; and 32-year-old Lance L. Siebert, of Braithwaite.
“The suspects’ social media posts were helpful in investigating this case,” Strain said in a statement about the agency’s joint investigation with the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The alleged cattle rustlers were booked into the parish detention center on Friday, and face a fine and possibly jail time if convicted for theft of livestock, Strain’s office said.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the four suspects had attorneys.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.