MONTROSE COUNTY, Colo. — Two people have been arrested after allegedly shooting and killing cattle in Montrose County in late December.
On Dec. 30, the Montrose County Sheriff's Office announced that it had started an investigation to identify and locate suspects who were accused of shooting Charolais cattle, killing two of the animals and injuring a third, in the area of 25 Mesa Road. This is about a mile south of the Delta County-Montrose County line. The alleged crimes likely happened on Dec. 29 between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m., the sheriff's office said in late December.
Anybody with information was urged to contact Montrose Regional Crime Stoppers at 970-249-8500.
Montrose County Sheriff Gene R. Lillard confirmed with Denver7 on Monday that two people had been arrested in connection with the crimes: Jevon Louis Vigil, 19, and Leeland Joshua Hernandez, 20. They live at the same address in Delta. A person had submitted a tip to Crime Stoppers, which helped authorities identify the suspects, write an arrest warrant for both of them, and make the arrests. A third person is being investigated as an accomplice and an arrest warrant is pending in that case, the sheriff said.
Sheriff Lillard said Vigil and Hernandez will be held at the Montrose County Jail on charges of criminal mischief and three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.
"I am very pleased with the arrest of these two individuals that allegedly committed such a heinous crime," he said.
No motive for the shooting was available as of Monday afternoon.
This is the second time in less than a month that crimes involving cattle in Montrose County have been reported.
On Dec. 11, Denver7 reported on nearly 200 stolen cattle southwest of Montrose. The sheriff said at least five cattle companies and ranchers have reported missing cattle from the area of the Uncompahgre Plateau, ranging from Sanborn Park, Craigs Point and to the north of Divide Road and into the 25 Mesa Road area bordering Delta County. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is working with the sheriff's office in this case. Montrose County Sheriff Chuck Searcy estimated the number of missing cattle totals anywhere from $300,000 to $400,000.
As of Monday afternoon, there have been no related arrests in the stolen cattle case.
You can watch our report from Dec. 11 on the stolen livestock in the video below.