Authorities sought a driver who left two possibly stolen calves tied up in a parked car on Interstate 10 in Banning, the California Highway Patrol reported Monday.
The animals were found around 8:25 a.m. Saturday, after the CHP received multiple 911 calls regarding a cow attempting to climb out of the trunk of a parked car on the shoulder of eastbound Interstate 10, east of Highland Springs Avenue.
Officers arrived and found one calf trying to climb out through the 2001 Honda Civic's open trunk, and another wedged in the back seat. Both calves had their hooves tied, according to CHP Officer Darren Meyer.
The Honda had false registration tags, registered to a Tulare County address, Meyer said. The car, which has since been impounded, has not been reported stolen, nor has anyone tried to pick up the Honda from the tow yard where it is being held, Meyer said.
The calves were taken to a local ranch, where they will remain until an inspector from the Bureau of Livestock Identification determines whether they were stolen.
Stealing livestock is a felony in California, punishable by thousands of dollars in fines and up to a year in county jail, according to the CHP.
