Rural Texas official arrested, charged with stealing cattle

MENTONE, Texas (AP) — The top elected official in a rural and sparsely populated West Texas county has been arrested after being accused of stealing cattle. Loving County Judge Skeet Jones and three other men were arrested on Friday on charges of livestock theft and engaging in organized criminal activity.  All four men were taken to the jail in neighboring Winkler County, and have since been released on bond. Jones has not returned a call seeking comment on Sunday. The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association says the arrests came after a yearlong investigation. The group alleges Jones and the others gathered stray cattle and sold them without following the procedures set forth in the Texas Agriculture Code.