DEPUTIES: VIRGINIA FARMER HOLDS MAN TRYING TO STEAL GOATS AT GUNPOINT

A Virginia farmer held a suspect who was trying to steal goats at gunpoint until deputies could arrive to make an arrest, authorities said.

Stafford County deputies responded to a call Feb. 14 from the property owner, who said he was holding a thief in the middle of a field on his land, Stafford County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Amanda Vicinanzo said. The farmer told deputies his wife had gone outside to check on their goats and discovered they’d been let out of their pen.

The farmer tracked the suspect to the field, where he found the man apparently intoxicated and slurring his words, the department said. Three goats were tied up next to the suspect’s truck. A deputy later determined through a breathalyzer test that the man was pretending to be intoxicated, Vicinanzo said.

The farmer said the suspect was someone who had previously bought goats from him, Vicinanzo said.