Dateline: March 18, 2004

Sheriff's office clears up two cases quickly

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Good luck and alert citizens have aided local law officers in making quick apprehensions of criminals.

Last Wednesday, the Donley County Sheriff’s Office received a call about 10:30 p.m. from Nathan Floyd of Clarendon, who said his residence on S. Carhart Street had been burglarized. Floyd reported several items stolen including a tin full of change and a blue button-up shirt.

Shortly after taking Floyd’s statement, Sheriff Butch Blackburn stopped at Allsup’s for a Coke and noticed three subjects, one of whom was wearing a blue button-up shirt and another who was trying to convert change into currency.

Blackburn approached the subjects and noticed several other items Floyd had listed as being stolen.

Derrick Todd, 19, and Timothy Jackson, 18, both of Memphis, and Johnny Castillo, 20, of Amarillo all pled guilty Monday and received five years deferred probation and a $2,500 fine, the sheriff said. All of Floyd’s property was recovered.

On Saturday night, Laban Tubbs informed the sheriff’s office that someone had just stolen his pickup from his residence southeast of Clarendon. Officers went into action, and a good citizen who happens to be the sheriff’s son, Tanner Blackburn, reported seeing the vehicle.

Officers stopped the truck nine miles north of town on SH 70 and arrested Randy Keith Mason, age 23, of Clarendon for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He later posted a $5,000 bond.

“Part of our success recently has been due to good citizens, and part of it is just due to stupid criminals,” Blackburn said.