The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

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February 8, 2010

Hinton men investigated for alleged horse theft

By Christopher J. Jackson

HINTON — Summers County Sheriff Ed Dolphin is investigating three Hinton men for stealing two horses and attempting to re-sell them in Mississippi.

The men wanted for questioning allegedly broke into Paul Blankenship’s barn in Elk Knob and took two healthy riding horses between Feb. 2 and Feb. 3, Dolphin said.

“(The men are) known to be livestock traders and are known to go out of the state and trade livestock,” he said.

The horses are co-owned by Blankenship and his daughter Angelia Blankenship. Angelia found her horses in New Albany, Miss., on Thursday after she received a tip from a friend, she said.

“I have friends that deal in horses,” she said. “You just kind of follow the route of trading horses in stock yards. It’s a chance you take. You call one and see where it takes you.”

Angelia met with the Union County Sheriff’s Department after traveling to New Albany from her home in South Carolina. The investigation was conducted by the Union County Sheriff’s Department and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Livestock and Theft Bureau.

One of the horses was found at an auction and the other was found at a ranch, Dolphin said

He said the horses were either going to be sold for riding or for dog food in Canada, where a pound goes for 17 cents.

Both horses returned safely with their owner and are in good care, Angelia said.

“We’re in the process of investigating this,” Dolphin said. “We’re going to bring them in for questioning.”

The horses are valued at $1,200 each, according to authorities.

Dolphin said possible charges include two counts of grand larceny and two counts of breaking and entering other than a dwelling for going into the barn.

Angelia said the horses had never been transported before, but were in good shape.

She said the chances of her finding them were about “one in a million.”

“Dad told me they were missing and I said ‘I’d find them,’” she said. “I was determined and got lucky and am blessed.”

— E-mail:cjackson@register-herald.com

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