SNOWFLAKE, AZ — A man has been arrested in Snowflake, Arizona after more than 20 cows were found dead in the area. On August 22, the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to five deceased cattle that had suffered gunshot wounds in a pasture off of Hay Hollow Road.
NCSO detectives and investigators with the Department of Agriculture then worked together on the investigation, which resulted in a search warrant being served on a property along Charolais Trail in the Snowflake area.
Investigators eventually learned that one of the bullets found in one of the cows matched a weapon seized from 38-year-old Joseph Daniel Gibbons' property during the search warrant.
An additional search warrant was then executed on November 20, and an additional 22 cattle were discovered dead in nearby fields and local rancher's corrals.
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"Arizona is an open-range state. That means that the responsibility for keeping livestock off the property falls on the property owner, not the livestock owner. However, the property owner cannot shoot the livestock to prevent them from coming onto their property," NCSO said in a statement.
NCSO says the estimated loss for the rancher(s) who owned the cattle is at least $65,000.
“Navajo County has numerous cattle growers currently raising cattle for sale to local consumers as well as small independent families raising cattle. Navajo County was built on the industry of raising cattle and maintains a deep history in the cattle business. My deputies will respond and investigate all reports of crimes against livestock,” stated Sheriff Clouse.
Gibbons faces two counts of animal cruelty and one count of killing of livestock. Additional charges are possible as the investigation continues. NCSO has not clarified how many of the cows Gibbons is believed to have shot, or if there are any outstanding suspects.
