AUCTION BIDDER JAILED; MAN TRIED TO LEAVE ARENA WITHOUT PAYING FOR ANIMALS.

Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

As the junior livestock auction progressed, one bidder was beginning to attract attention.

The young man bid on animal after animal, several times outbidding other buyers and making about $27,000 in purchases.

Grateful youngsters brought him flowers and gave him hugs. Adults bought him beers.

But the man's heavy bidding and his tall tales sent up red flags among fair officials.

When the man attempted to walk out of the Antelope Valley Fair livestock arena without paying for the 36 pigs and one steer, fair director Randy Jaqua and fair manager Dan Jacobs intercepted him and led him back into the livestock office.

Sheriff's deputies said the man is 23-year-old Brandon Higbee of Palmdale, and he is in jail on suspicion of attempted grand theft in the livestock case. He was being held in lieu of $30,000 bail.

Higbee was simultaneously arrested on a previously issued court warrant for allegedly writing checks with nonsufficient funds, deputies said Friday. They said he has a history of forgery, theft and receiving stolen property.

Christine Thompson, 17, of Rosamond was one of the youngsters who thought their animals were bought by Higbee. He bid $3 a pound for a pig, and told her the meat would go to the homeless, Thompson said.

``I bought a white rose for him and gave him a hug to say thank you. I trusted him,'' she said.

At first she did not believe the rumors that went around Jaqua Arena on Thursday night. She later wept.

``I felt really bad,'' Thompson said. ``I was crying so hard.''

Fair officials promised to make good on the money for the kids whose animals Higbee purchased.

Fair officials said businesses and individuals have been offering to buy the animals or make donations. Any difference will be covered by the fair's contingency fund, they said.

``It's going to be covered one way or the other,'' Jacobs said. ``We've been flooded with people who want to help out. The kids will get what the animals went for.''

Fair officials said they expect to increase the registration requirements for auction bidders. A bidder this year was required to provide only a driver's license number and Social Security number and to state planned method of payment.

``Obviously we'll be a little tougher,'' Jacobs said. ``It's disappointing. We'll have to do a little more on prescreening. After the fair we'll sit down and see how tough we want to be.''

One seeking a tougher stance is Anthony Rivas, 13, who had his pig purchased for $3.25 a pound by the bogus bidder.

``I thought I was going to get lots of money. Then I found he was a fake,'' Rivas said. ``I think the fair should do background checks.''

Jim Lott, the fair board president, said it will be a balancing act - coming up with new safeguards, but not being so restrictive that honest people are offended.

``This was an isolated incident,'' Lott said. ``I don't know how he got through, but he did.''

Fair officials immediately began working to minimize damage to the kids, Lott said. Participants in the auction were asked to help out. Before Lott left the fairgrounds Thursday night, half the money had been raised.

``That's the way this community is: You don't mess with the kids,'' Lott said.

Christine Thompson's father, John, said he is grateful the fair plans to repay the kids.

``They are looking out for the kids,'' he said, noting that a new auction after the big one probably would have brought lower bids.

Sheriff's deputies said they do not know why Higbee allegedly bid on the animals, but speculated that he enjoyed the attention.

Higbee claimed to be the owner of a business with 1,000 employees and said he owned three homes in west Palmdale, said Cindy Nelson, an agriculture teacher who leads the Rosamond High School Future Farmers of America and attended the auction.

Higbee also claimed to have worked for Warner Bros. studio as a pyrotechnics technician, Nelson said.

Higbee claimed to have made his first fortune, she said, by suing a bank that refused to honor a check for which he had sufficient funds in his account.

``He was pushing it to the limit,'' Nelson said of Higbee's tales.

Higbee flashed some cash and claimed to have $20,000 on him, Nelson said.

Authorities said Higbee told the youngsters he was going to pay in cash, but later told fair officials he would pay by check.

``The kids aren't going to lose anything,'' Nelson said of the incident, ``except some trust in people.''

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Photo: (color in AV edition only) Anthony Rivas, 13 - with his pig, Fatty - and Christine Thompson, 17, are among youths cheated by bogus livestock bids, authorities said. Fair officials said their losses will be covered, and a suspect is in jail.

Jeff Goldwater/Daily News