Sunnyside man charged with stealing cattle in borrowed Honda Accord to be arraigned

YAKIMA — A Sunnyside man accused of using a Honda Accord to steal calves from a Mabton ranch is scheduled to be arraigned March 20.

Leonardo Jose Tapia, 23, is charged in Yakima County Superior Court with a single count of first-degree theft of livestock. In addition to his arraignment, Tapia will also have a hearing on violating the terms of his pretrial release.

Tapia posted $5,000 bond on March 8 and was released from the Yakima County jail, but did not report to the pretrial services office within 24 hours, according to court documents. Pretrial services staff said the contact phone number Tapia gave was not in service.

At Tapia’s preliminary appearance hearing, Deputy Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Handy had argued for a $10,000 bail, arguing that Tapia had an outstanding warrant in Yakima County District Court for theft and making a false statement to a public official at the time of his arrest, as well as failing to appear in Granger Municipal Court on a traffic violation in the past year.

Tapia was arrested March 5 after a man at Sagebrush Ranch near Mabton followed a Honda Accord that had left the ranch around 7:30 a.m.

The man said that cattle had been taken from the ranch since Feb. 22, with 19 heifers reported stolen, and that 24 Wagyu calves were recently taken from the ranch, all with ear tags, the affidavit said.

At the rodeo grounds, deputies found the Honda’s driver, Tapia, in a cattle pen feeding 16 calves. He was placed under arrest, the affidavit said, and deputies saw that he had cow manure on his boots, and that the Honda’s interior was also covered in manure.

Police also found Tapia’s cellphone and charger in the Honda, and he was carrying the keys to the car.

The car’s owner said Tapia asked if he could house calves at the rodeo grounds, and that her son let Tapia borrow his car to look for a job, the affidavit said, and that they were not involved in any theft of cattle.

Sixteen calves were recovered, the affidavit said, with a value of $500 per calf.