Weather doesn't stop the thieves in Saline County
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Saline County Sheriff's Deputies continue to investigate a variety of thefts throughout the county, but especially on the county's west side stretching from Stonefort to Galatia, according to Sheriff Keith Brown.
Cars were broken into early this morning in the Galatia area. A vehicle on Liberty Road was pilfered through over the weekend. The department is investigating an illegal trash dumping complaint on Hankins Road, Brown said.
Anhydrous theft
The department arrested two Eldorado residents Saturday night accused of stealing anhydrous ammonia from Brown Fertilizer at Hamburg Road, Galatia.
Deputy Steve Sloan noted movement around the tanks and pursued Ronnie Dale Page, 31, 2915 Locust St., Eldorado, until Page threw a gas can with an innertube in it and fell in the muddy field, according to a sheriff's report.
Sloan arrested Page 10:06 p.m. Jan. 29 on charges of illegal possession of anhydrous ammonia, tampering with anhydrous ammonia equipment and criminal trespass to property. He remains held at the Saline County Detention Center on $5,000 bond.
Sloan arrested Diane Marie Summers, 48, 2406 Locust St., Eldorado, 10:10 p.m. Jan. 29 on charges of illegal possession of anhydrous ammonia and tampering with anhydrous ammonia equipment. She remains held at the Saline County Detention Center on $5,000 bond.
Summers was driving past on Hamburg Road, Sloan pulled her over and she admitted to having dropped Page off up the road, according to the report.
Flatbed trailer
Deputies are investigating the theft of a 6-foot by 12-foot tilt flatbed trailer from Robert Devillez' shed at Devillez Road at Stacks Road taken between the night of Jan. 27 and Jan. 28, according to a sheriff's report.
Liberty Mine
A report has been completed of a burglary at Western Fuels, 4270 North America Road, Galatia -- the old Liberty Mine -- believed to have happened between Jan. 21 and Jan. 23.
Chuck Reed of Johnston City reported numerous items -- tools, an all-terrain vehicle and a motor -- belonging either to him or to Western Fuels had been taken, according to the report.
A gate was unlocked on the western side of the property and there were ATV tracks leading through it. The burglars pried a garage door on the east side of the property to gain access to a building and unlock it from the inside, the report indicates. The burglars are believed to have used a hoist to remove a motor.
The stolen property belonging to Western Fuels is believed to carry a value of about $34,249 and property from Reed was estimated to be $5,248, according to the report.
Horse stable
Chief Deputy Ken Clore said deputies are also investigating a break in at the horse stable north of Eldorado on U.S. Route 45, but a report was not immediately available.