A 17-year-old Houston boy charged in late April for allegedly teaming up with a 16-year-old friend to toss a puppy off of an old fire tower west of Houston was cited April 24 for allegedly stealing a decorative ceramic horse from an elderly woman’s home.
Taylor W. DeWolfe, 17, of 6165 U.S. 63 at Houston, was issued a citation for stealing under $750 by a Houston Police Department officer after allegedly swiping the horse (valued at $500) from the front porch of a 71-year-old woman’s Hamrick Terrace residence on April 20.
According to a written report, the woman first notified officers at about 7 a.m. April 21.
On April 24, officers were told DeWolfe and his minor-age accomplice had thrown the dog off the tower, stolen several street signs and swiped the decorative horse (which was a gift from the woman’s children). A short time later, an officer located DeWolfe and took him to an interview room at the Texas County Sheriff’s Department.
During questioning, DeWolfe reportedly confessed to swiping the horse, claiming he and the other boy had placed it in a nearby ditch and then came back for it later. He said they put it in the other boy’s truck and he didn’t see it after that.
Another officer made contact with the juvenile involved, and he reportedly also admitted to stealing the horse.
Police said the damaged horse was later recovered after being abandoned alongside Ridge Road. It was missing legs.
DeWolfe is free on $10,000 bond on charges of animal abuse, tampering with physical evidence and stealing, and had a change-of-judge hearing scheduled for Tuesday of this week at the Texas County Justice Center.
The 16-year-old boy is being dealt with by county juvenile authorities.