Gonzales County man arrested for cattle theft

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Robert Fields arrested Joshua Webb in Gonzales for the theft of two cow-calf pairs. Webb was charged with theft of livestock, a third-degree felony, and possession of a controlled substance.

In September 2024, Special Ranger Fields took a report from an individual reporting two cow-calf pairs that went missing from a property in DeWitt County. The cattle were last seen earlier that month.

During the investigation, Special Ranger Fields received information from a DeWitt County Sheriff’s Office investigator about two suspects who had sold cattle at a local sale barn.

A Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Market Inspector confirmed that Sept. 11, 2024, two cow-calf pairs that matched the description of the stolen livestock were consigned by two individuals.  

Fields was able to recover both pairs and return them to their owner.

Before the investigation concluded, it was learned that one of the suspects had died. However, an arrest warrant was issued for the second suspect, Webb.

On Oct. 3, Fields received a tip on Webb’s whereabouts from a confidential informant.

Webb was located and arrested by the Gonzales Police Department. He was booked into the Gonzales County Jail on felony theft of livestock and possession of a controlled substance charges.

Special Ranger Fields extends a thank you to the DeWitt County Sheriff’s Office, Gonzales County Sheriff’s Office and Gonzales Police Department for their assistance in the case.

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association’s special rangers are an elite group of law enforcement officers who have extensive knowledge of the cattle industry. While they primarily investigate cattle theft and other agricultural crimes, they are well-trained in all facets of law enforcement.

In all, the association has 30 Special Rangers stationed throughout Texas and Oklahoma who are commissioned through the Texas Department of Public Safety or Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The Special Rangers also oversee more than 80 market inspectors who collect data, such as brands and other identifying marks on about 5 million cattle sold at 100 Texas livestock markets each year.

That information is entered into the association’s recording and retrieval system, which is a vital tool for law enforcement when investigating theft cases.