Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Byron Langley responded to a location on a rural county road at approximately 7:11am on Wednesday regarding theft.  According to the report, a male complainant reported that a suspect whose vehicle was stuck in the mud had taken some items from equipment that belongs to Brown County.

According to the report, Department of Public Safety Trooper Mike Sams had the male in custody, identified as 32-year-old Travis Wade Long of Abilene, when Deputy Langley arrived.  A Jeep Liberty was stuck in the mud which had a water heater tied to the roof and other items stuffed into the vehicle.  A Caterpillar road compactor which belongs to Brown County was stuck in the mud behind the suspect’s vehicle, according to the report.

BCSO Investigator Vance Hill also responded to scene to investigate the incident.  According to Trooper Sams, Long was trying to dig the vehicle out of the mud with a shovel when he arrived.  Long told the trooper that he walked down the road to get the Caterpillar road compactor to pull his vehicle out of the mud and that he did not know the compactor belonged to the county, the report states.

 

The report states that Long was placed into the patrol vehicle, read his Miranda warning, and questioned.  According to the report, Long stated that the residence from which the items in his car were taken from belonged to his grandparents and that he lives in Abilene, is unemployed, homeless, and that he just wanted to recycle the items to make a little money.  When asked if he knew what he was doing was trespassing, Long laughed and stated that “in a sick mental way yes,” the report states.  Five witnesses stated that they saw Long at the location digging his car out of the mud and one of them stated that he had seen Long in the area earlier that morning, according to law enforcement.

The stolen items were recovered, which included two check books, a piece of copper tubing, a window air conditioning unit, refrigerator, a pressure tank, copper wire, and two water heaters.

Long was arrested and charged with Burglary of a Habitation, Unauthorized Use of Vehicle, and Theft of Copper.

In other unrelated law enforcement arrests and reports released Thursday, March 8, 2012:

Wednesday, March 7

*6:00am-Brownwood Police officer requested the help of another BPD officer to join him during business hours at PF&E Oil Company in an attempt to obtain a recording of the security video regarding a hit and run accident.  The officer had already requested the video which was captured by security cameras at the Food Plaza at 2800 US Hwy 377S.  A disc containing the video was provided and turned into the evidence room at BPD, the report states.

*3:44pm-Brownwood Police were called to the Allsup’s on W. Commerce regarding forgery.  According to the report, an employee provided an affidavit of forgery for a returned/forged check made out to Allsup’s for $99.53.

*4:40pm-Brown County Sheriff’s Investigators, in BCSO unmarked vehicle, made a traffic stop on a vehicle for failing to signal a lane change in the 2000 block of US Hwy 67 W.  According to the report, the driver was identified as 22-year-old Paul Griffin and after a search of the vehicle, a cigarette box containing two packages of a usable amount of marijuana (weighing 2.4 grams) was found under the rear set of the vehicle.  According to the report, Griffin waived his rights and admitted that the marijuana belonged to him, the other two occupants of the vehicle denied knowledge of the marijuana.  Griffin was arrested for Possession of Marijuana Less than 2 ounces.

*During a probation search of the apartment of 22-year-old Scotty Dale Ray Hays, BCSO investigators located a glass methamphetamine pipe with residue under a bedroom mattress and packaging commonly used for the distribution of narcotics, according to BCSO reports.  The residue tested positive for methamphetamine, the report states.   Hays was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Grade 1 Less than 1 Gram.

*Brown County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous report of animal cruelty at a location in May, Texas.  According to the report, nine horses are being held in a 1.5 acre property while fencing is being repaired on the owner’s larger piece of land.  The owner stated that the horses have been fed about fifteen bags of cubed cattle feed and a round bale of hay since February 15th, the report states.  According to the deputy, the land was nearly bare and there is approximately 20% of the hay bale left and the horses are beginning to chew on the mesquite bark, indicating the need for additional supplementation of food; however plenty of water was found on the property.  A relative of the owner stated that they planned to move the horses to a larger property and to sell four of the horses as soon as possible, the report states.  The deputy advised the owner and relative that BCSO will be monitoring the condition of the horses to ensure that they receive adequate feeding and care in the future.

* Texas Department of Public Safety arrested 28-year-old Josue Rivera of San Angelo for Money Laundering Equal to or Greater than $1500 Less than $20,000.

All arrestees are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.