By Vicky Wedig
SLN Staff
Preliminary hearings are scheduled for three people suspected of stealing nearly $22,000 worth of saddles from three Walworth County horse farms.
Jasmine A. Ingersoll, 20, of Elkhorn, was scheduled to appear in Walworth County Circuit Court Feb. 8 on a charge of receiving stolen property valued at more than $10,000 as a party to a crime. Shawn M. Mercier, 24, of East Troy, and Michael R. Southworth, 20, of Genoa City, are scheduled to appear in court Feb. 15. Each is charged with three counts of burglary and 11 counts of theft of movable property valued at $2,500 or less.
According to the criminal complaint:
Fifteen horse saddles were reported stolen – three from Fantasy Hills Ranch in the Town of Delavan on Dec. 27, two from a Bowers Road property north of Dawson’s Creek Ranch in the Town of Lafayette on Dec. 28 and 10 from Dawson’s Creek Ranch on Dec. 31.
A Columbus resident notified the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department on Dec. 31 that a suspicious person named “Shawn” was going to arrive at his residence shortly to sell 10 saddles. A deputy was at the residence when Mercier, Southworth and Ingersoll arrived to sell the saddles.
Mercier told police he, Southworth and Ingersoll stole saddles from Fantasy Hills, and he and Southworth sold the saddles in Illinois for $600.
Southworth admitted he and Mercier stole two saddles from a horse arena north of Dawson’s Creek Ranch.
Mercier said he, Southworth and Ingersoll burglarized Dawson’s Creek Ranch.
Twelve of the stolen saddles were claimed. They ranged in value from $800 to more than $3,000 with a total value of $21,850.
