A case where 11 cows were rustled from a pasture at the intersection of Chestuee Road and Gatlin Road has been solved by the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office.

An intensive investigation by property crimes detectives resulted in Dustin Chad Hutson being charged with theft over $1,000 - cattle rustling.

The cows were taken July 12th and reported to the BCSO as having a value of $3,000.

A "police beat" article in the Cleveland Daily Banner with details of the theft played a role in giving investigators new information that ultimately helped solve the theft.

A man who purchased 11 head of cattle several days earlier saw the article and contacted the criminal investigations division to ascertain if the cows he bought were the ones that had been stolen.

He told investigators that he met a man pulling a cattle trailer with an SUV at a retail parking lot where he was making adjustments to the trailer. They agreed to a purchase price of $3,000 but a family emergency forced him to leave hurriedly and his brother completed the transaction.

Through additional investigation which included interviews with several people Hutson was identified as the person that sold the cows. A warrant for his arrest was issued through the General Sessions Court.

Hutson is currently being held in the Polk County jail for probation violation and will be moved to the Bradley County jail following release.

Sheriff Tim Gobble said the newspaper article, which points out the importance of maintaining good media relationships, gave investigators a break in the case that ultimately resulted in the identification of a suspect and recovery of the cattle. Sheriff Gobble and Det. Capt. Steve Lawson expressed appreciation and commended the citizen who voluntarily came forward with information about potentially stolen property knowing it could result in a substantial financial loss.  
         

Dustin Chad Hutson photo taken 2 years ago