Deputies use their horses to corral suspected thieves at a Riverdale store

Two mounted Fresno County sheriff’s deputies used their horses to corral three suspected thieves as they tried to drive away from a store they planned to hit, the sheriff’s office said Tuesday.

The three suspects allegedly shoplifted bedsheets, air fresheners, laundry detergent, fabric softener and trash bags from a Dollar General store in Laton on Friday, sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti said.

A deputy who responded got a description of the suspects and their vehicle and broadcast it to other deputies in the area.

A short time later, deputies Christian Lightner and Todd Talent, who were working as part of a mounted patrol unit, spotted an SUV that matched the suspects at another Dollar General in Riverdale.

The officers, riding their horses Justice and Sunny, approached the SUV as the suspected thieves were getting ready to flee.

The suspects tried to drive out of the parking lot when the officers used their horses to block the path of the vehicle.

The deputies detained Denette Gladney, 43, Danielle Battle, 35 and Tino Kittrell, 33, all from Fresno, and learned they planned to steal goods from the Riverdale store, Botti said. Since the value of the items stolen in Laton was less then $950, deputies were only able to cite them for a misdemeanor and release them at the scene.

All of the stolen items were recovered and returned to the store in Laton, Botti said.

This story was originally published August 29, 2017 at 10:31 PM with the headline "Deputies use their horses to corral suspected thieves at a Riverdale store."