Last night while doing my "protect & serve" thing I came across an un-seemly couple with lots of brand new property in their van (i.e electronics, etc.) as well as two brand new saddles with the tags and magnetic sensors still attached. Although I did my best to try to determine at scene that they were stolen, I finally had to let them go with the saddles.
They were a Hispanic couple in their early 30s with two young children (boy & girl) in a white van. She claimed that the saddles had just been given to her by her mother since she was just getting back into riding, yet she couldn't tell me anything about the saddles, riding, or her horses that made sense ( I only know enough about horses/riding to fill a thimble, so if I know more than her, LLPOF (liar, liar, pants on fire)).
The saddles were a 17" Black Bates Dressage model, price tag on it read $1795.00. The second was a Circle Y Dark Oil with lots of silver, black suede seat, ralide tree, heavy tooling, with a matching breast collar and headstall "zip tied" to it along with a brown string girth (couldn't tell if cotton/mohair). I didn't get to examine this one close enough to determine size and the price tag was torn off, but the sensors were still on.
These were brand new without a speck of dirt on them. They came from a larger business due to the anti-theft sensors and the barcodes on the tags. Please forward this to your other lists and/or people you know that own/work where tack is sold. These could have been stolen ANYWHERE and not just in No. CA. I believe they are traveling thieves. If I can confirm those saddles are stolen, I can write a warrant and make an arrest. Send responses to:
amadden@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
or call 530-895-4911 Ask for Ofcr. A. Madden or after hours I think you can input the badge #68 to go straight to the voice mail.
I leave today for a vacation in Mexico for a week, but I can follow-up on any info. when I return.
Thanks in advance,
Abigail Madden (cop and endurance wannabee)
City of Chico Police Dept.
Chico, California
