HORSE THEFT PROBED IN AGUA DULCE AREA.

Byline: CHARLES F. BOSTWICK Staff Writer

AGUA DULCE -- A horse thief struck in Agua Dulce.

A 3-year-old quarterhorse named Scotty, being trained as a roping horse, was rustled from the corral behind his owner's house.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Detective Daniel Dantice, working his first stolen-horse case, believes that whoever stole Scotty had planned out the theft and is someone familiar with horses.

The thief didn't take Scotty's saddle or other gear, though it's unknown whether the horse was loaded into a trailer or simply led away, Dantice said.

Dantice believes Scotty is probably still in the area, though it's possible he was taken out of state or out of the country.

``We're not having a raft of horses stolen, though it wouldn't be unusual for somebody to round up a couple of horses and run them across the border and sell them to make a profit,'' Dantice said.

Stolen overnight Sept. 9, the buckskin gelding is worth several thousand dollars because of his training, Dantice said. The horse's most distinctive feature is the gray hair mixed in among its predominantly black mane and tail, the detective added.

Anyone with information on the stolen horse was asked to call Dantice at the Palmdale sheriff's station at [phone].

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(color in AV and SAC editions only) Scotty, a quarterhorse being trained to be a rope horse, was stolen from his corral in Agua Dulce on Sept. 9.