200 Angus beef cattle reportedly stolen and replaced with cheaper cows

Nearly 200 prized Angus beef cattle, worth $371,000, were stolen from a North Carolina farm between March and mid-April.



Investigators with the State Bureau of Investigation say that 114 cows and 75 calves were stolen from K-Farms in Alamance County. Agent Gerald Thomas believes a farm employee may have stolen them.

He said the cows are top breed Angus beef cows valued at $2,800 each and the calves at $700 apiece. The owner of the farm, Ronald Kirkpatrick, is in hospital and is unable to talk about the theft, but is offering a $10,000 reward for information and arrest of the person responsible, agent Thomas said.



Kirkpatrick said he counted the herd in early January and all were accounted for, but a recount on April 12 showed a discrepancy. The owner told sheriff's investigators he discovered approximately 30-40 cheaper grade cows in the field and believed the suspect was taking the good cattle and replacing some of them with cheaper cows so no one would notice.

With news video.