Riverside man arrested after calf found in car

Published 12:36 am Friday, November 7, 2014

By Staff Reports

In this Nov. 5, 2014 photo provided by Riverside County Animal Services, a 3 day-old Jersey calf is given a bottle of milk at the animal services in Riverside, Calif. Riverside police arrested a suspected calf rustler after the animal was found in the back seat of the man's car. Animal services said an officer approached Cesar Zamora Santana when he was spotted loitering outside an auto shop early Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014. When the officer looked inside Santana's vehicle, he saw the calf lying in the back seat. Santana told police that he had purchased the animal for $200 at a gas station. (AP Photo/Riverside County Animal Services)

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — Riverside police arrested a suspected calf rustler after the animal was found in the back seat of the man’s car.

Animal Services spokesman John Welsh says an officer approached Cesar Zamora Santana when he was spotted loitering outside an auto shop early Wednesday.

When the officer looked inside Santana’s vehicle, he saw the calf lying in the back seat. Santana told police that he had purchased the animal for $200 at a gas station.

Animal control officers found that the bovine’s ear identification tag had been forcibly removed.

Welsh says the 150-pound female calf was turned over to a farmer to be fostered while authorities attempt to locate its owner.

The 31-year-old Santana was arrested on suspicion of transporting livestock without proof of ownership or identifying information.

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