Articles

by Emily Waldrep

On May 1 at approximately 3 p.m., Corporal Tony Reynolds was dispatched to County Road 4455 in Hillister to a burglary in progress.

According to Tyler County Sheriff Bryan Weatherford, several officers responded along with Deputy Reynolds. The dispatcher advised deputies that the caller reported that two subjects, later identified as Craig Foster, 40, and his wife Tamika Foster, 36, attempted to steal some belongings from the house across the street.

The caller, Denise Stevens, reported that she heard dogs barking at the house across the street. She knew that no one was home, and observed a male subject crouching in the woods on the property. As she got closer, she personally recognized Foster. She saw that he was dragging an object and she yelled for him to stop, which caused him to drop the item. Shortly after, the white dodge pulled up, and Craig Foster left the scene with Tamika Foster, the driver.

Deputy Brian Seales and Deputy Troy Costello of the Tyler County Sheriff's Department later located the vehicle and the two suspects on County Road 4490 and conducted a traffic stop.

The item that Craig Foster dropped was a horse saddle.

Deputies contacted the owners of the home and learned the saddle was kept in the shed in the backyard, and that the Foster's did not have permission to use the saddle or to be on the property.

Craig Foster later admitted to being at the residence and both Craig and Tamika Foster were charged with Burglary of a Building, which is a state jail felony.

"This is what I have been saying since I took office," Weatherford said. "We've got to have the help of good, outstanding citizens of the county to help with finding the criminals and making these arrests. These arrests wouldn't have been possible if people wouldn't have been looking out for their friends and neighbors."