by Mike Alexieff, Editor

LIVE OAK COUNTY – The Live Oak County Sheriff’s Department recovered $275,000 in stolen property and made an arrest in a burglary of the McMullen County home of Oscar Leo Quintanilla.

On Feb. 3, the department arrested Justin Glen Anderson, 28, on felony theft charges after a sting operation in Mathis.

Most of the property, consisting of guns, antique spurs and other items, was found in the attic of Anderson’s parents’ home in Swinney Switch.

Anderson was arrested after he sold $2,400 in antique spurs to a collector working with the sheriff’s department at the McDonald’s in Mathis. Working the sting were Live Oak County Sheriff Larry Busby, Chief Deputy Charlie Charlie Stroleny and Investigator Dan Caddell. They were assisted by the San Patricio County Sheriff’s Department.

The theft was originally reported Jan. 20 to Deputy Libby Shelton of the McMullen County Sheriff’s Department.

Caddell, who also works with McMullen County, began working the case with Shelton.

Quintanilla reported that he first began noticing items missing in December.

The break in the case came when Busby received a call from the collector of spurs.

The collector told Busby that he had been contacted by Anderson, who wanted to sell some spurs. When the collector looked at the spurs, he recognized some he had sold to Quintanilla about 10 years ago.

According to sheriff’s department reports, Anderson was an ex-boyfriend of Quintanilla’s daughter and was familiar with Quintanilla’s residence.

Property recovered from Anderson’s parents’ home included 11 handguns, 16 rifles and shotguns, pocketknives, old coins, baseball cards and other items.

Quintanilla estimated the value of everything stolen at $275,000, Busby said.

Stroleny said that Anderson, who is now free on a $50,000 secured bond, was on felony probation for a conviction stemming from a burglary of a ranch on FM 889 in Live Oak County.