By Roger Lanse

On Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021, at approximately 2:59 a.m., Grant County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to 708 Encino Street in Santa Clara in reference to a possible larceny. According to a GCSO offense report, the Grant County Regional Dispatch Authority advised the responding deputies that the two suspects, Jeremy Sias, 39, of Santa Clara, and another male, later identified as Joshua Hoyt, 37, of Arenas Valley, both wearing black hoodies, were possibly headed to a residence on N. James Street. Deputies were unable to locate the pair, so, along with a Bayard Police Department officer, they went to the home of the victim, a 35-year-old male.

The victim told deputies the report said, that when Sias arrived at his home he was told by the victim that he wasn't welcome, but Sias pushed his way in anyway, accompanied by another male. Sias threatened to beat and hang the victim if he didn't give Sias the New England single-shot .410 shotgun Sias claimed to have helped the victim recover earlier and a saddle. They also told him, the victim said, that if he 'called the cops,' they would come back and shoot and kill him. Out of fear for his life, the victim said according to the report, he 'reluctantly' gave them the shotgun and saddle.

Returning to the N. James Street residence, deputies located both suspects, and they were placed in investigative detention. The female of the residence stated the pair came to her house with 'a thing for a horse' bragging about how they had 'ganked' the victim ('ganked' means robbed), the report said.

The saddle, the report stated, was located in the trunk of a car at the N. James Street residence where the pair had helped unload some wood from that vehicle's trunk. The shotgun was located inside that residence hidden behind a couch. Neither the resident of the home nor the driver of the vehicle claimed knowledge of how the saddle and shotgun got in their respective locations. The report said deputies took the saddle and shotgun into evidence. The victim told deputies the value of the shotgun was about $150 and the Hereford saddle, about $400.

The victim identified the saddle and shotgun to be his, and deputies placed Sias and Hoyt under arrest for robbery, aggravated burglary, and larceny.

Sias was released from the Grant County Detention Center the next day, Dec. 29, on an unsecured appearance bond, while Hoyt remains in custody, according to GCDC staff.