STAFFORD COUNTY — The Stafford County sheriff’s department is interested in talking to a former Great Bend resident who was recently arrested in Hays on an Oklahoma warrant for rustling cattle.
The Barton County Jail is holding Travis Tobin of Stafford on a warrant from Woodward County in Oklahoma.
Stafford County Sheriff Jeff Parr wants to ask the man about thousands of dollars of equipment, including trailers, a generator, a vehicle camper and a Kubota excavator discovered at a Stafford County location Monday. The items are believed to be part of a two-state crime spree.
“I expect they’ll find more stuff there, possibly even some of the cattle we’ve had come up missing,” Parr said. “He  would allegedly steal stuff in Oklahoma and stash it up here, then steal stuff here and stash it in Oklahoma.”
The Hutchinson News reported the trail to the suspect began when Oklahoma authorities found some of the cattle and a stolen trailer near Cushing, Okla., along with equipment. The man was arrested in Hays last week on an Oklahoma warrant.
Parr said Oklahoma law enforcement officers are currently serving warrants on property located in Oklahoma.
Parr said the suspect apparently split time between Stafford County and Oklahoma, where he is suspected of stealing 23 cattle.
The investigation involves numerous agencies, which are conducting searches and logging items recovered.