WANTED: Alleged horse thief at large By Babette Herrmann Sun Editor
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little over a week ago socia l med ia buzzed with news of a quarter horse n ick n a me d “ Mont e” t h a t wa s repor ted stolen from TravelCenters of A mer ica t r u c k s t o p a t 3 4 0 4 W. Highway 66. Monte was found safe and sound June 1, one day after a thief rode off with him. And as of press time, the alleged suspect is still at large. TA v ide o s u r vei l l a nce helped pol ice t o ident i f y 18-year-old Wilbert Billy as t he a l leged hor se -napper. Ga llup Police Depa r tment i s sued a n a r re st wa r r a nt for Billy June 2. He’s wanted on one count of “larceny of l ivestock,” a t h i rd- deg ree felony. According to the criminal complaint, the unfortunate incident occurred when hor se t ra n spor ter Steven Dyess stopped at TA to get some rest during the early
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Wilbert Billy afternoon of May 31. It was a long haul for the 11-yearold horse, from Arizona to Color a do, so D ye s s t ook Monte out of the trailer and tied him to it so he could stretch his legs. It was also a chance for Dyess to grab a few minutes of shut eye in the cab of the truck. Sometime during Dyess’s c a t n a p, B i l ly r e p or t e d ly approa ched t he a sh g rey q u a r t e r hor s e w it h fou r white socks and untied his rope, then walked away with
Friday June 9, 2017 • Gallup Sun
him. When he gained some d i s t a nce f rom D ye s s, he hopped on Monte and rode off. Dyess tried to catch up with Billy, but to no avail. Tim “TC” Show was desperate to find his Monte. His wife Mary Show immediately sta r ted posting photos of Monte on Facebook groups, asking for Gallup and Navajo Nation residents help in finding him. Monte’s full horsey name is “Yo Blue Doop.” Gallup Police Department Det. Lt. Rosanne Morrissette wasn’t content with letting the matter fall by the wayside. On June 1, with the assistance of Det. Philamena Chischilly, the two headed to NCI detox center to see if they had any information on Billy. A n NCI super v isor told the detectives that Billy’s fat her stole a hor se from him about four years earlier, a nd drew a map of where the suspect resided at, 908B Hunters Point Rd. It was the lead that police needed as it was the same direction that Billy was headed in when he
stole Monte. While driving in the area, det ec t ive s r a n i nt o New Mex ico L ive s t o ck Br a nd Inspector Byron Murphy. They asked him to follow them to Billy’s residence. When they arrived there, Billy’s mom, Nettie Billy, said her son was in possession of the horse, and had told her that he was watching it for someone. The night before, Nettie Billy said “they” put a pen together for Monte, some 500 yards from the residence. T he a r e a w a s h idden , a s det ec t ive s h a d t o c ut t h roug h “ t ree s a nd sa ge brush,” to find Monte, who’s valued at $15,000, according to the criminal complaint.
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Mur phy rode Monte out of the area, and Dyess met up with detectives and loaded the horse onto the trailer. Mar y Show took to the Gallup Sun Facebook page to express her gratitude to those who helped locate Monte. “Thank you Gallup police depa r tment a nd bra nd i n s p e c t o r s ,” s h e w r o t e . “Truly a miracle.”
Gallup Sun Publishing, LLC Publisher/Editor Babette Herrmann Advertising Raenona Harvey Correspondents Bernie Dotson Tom Hartsock Calendar Editor Lealia Nelson Photography Ana Hudgeons Ryan Hudgeons Knifewing Segura Design David Tsigelman On the Cover: Shirley Hedge (left) and Linda Williams (right) display quilts that ‘The Loyal Order of the Quilt’ have crafted; Carolyn Foreman on the sewing machine. Photos by Knifewing Segura. The Gallup Sun, published Fridays, is not responsible or liable for any claims or offerings, nor responsible for availability of products advertised. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The Gallup Sun distributes newspapers in McKinley, Cibola and Apache counties. Office (By Appointment): 102 S. Second St., Gallup, NM 87301 The Gallup Sun, pending USPS number 1, is mailed weekly. Application to mail at periodical rates is pending in Gallup NM. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gallup Sun, PO Box 1212, Gallup, NM. Mailing Address: PO Box 1212 Gallup, NM 87305 www.gallupsun.com Phone: (505) 728-1640 Fax: (505) 212-0391 gallupsun@gmail.com Letter to the editor/guest column ACCEPTED BY EMAIL ONLY. State full name and city/town. No pen names. ID required. All submissions subjected to editor’s approval. Guest columnists, email Sun for submission requirements.
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