A beloved horse that was stolen from a barn in Enumclaw, Washington, back in April has been recovered safe, and the person investigators say was behind the wheel of the truck used in the theft has now been charged. The horse, named Ruben, is back home in his stall, and his family said they were relieved to have him returned.
Ruben's family thanked the King County Sheriff's Office for acting quickly to bring the horse home. They also said they were glad that an arrest had been made and that the case would move toward justice, after weeks of not knowing what had happened to the animal.
The theft itself was captured on the barn's security system. Images from April showed two people moving through the barn at around two in the morning with flashlights. Investigators say the cameras then recorded the pair loading Ruben into a silver trailer that was attached to a truck parked down the road.
A lead emerged from the family's own account. They told investigators that a former employee, 50-year-old Jenny Westberg, had recently started showing up to buy hay from them and also kept asking to see Ruben. That pattern drew the attention of detectives as they worked to track down the missing horse.
After doing some digging, deputies went to Westberg's property, where they spotted a tent-like structure they described as a makeshift barn. According to court documents, Westberg denied allowing a deputy inside. The deputy later returned with a search warrant and found the horse, Ruben, on the property.
Investigators also determined that the trailer found on the property had been reported stolen from an impound lot associated with animal control, adding another layer to the case. Officials acknowledged that the ordeal would have been stressful for the animal, noting that horses react strongly when they are suddenly taken from familiar surroundings and people.
Westberg was arrested and booked on charges of second-degree burglary and second-degree theft of livestock. At her first court appearance, a judge released her on her own recognizance, and her arraignment was scheduled for June 25.