Kalona man accused of cow theft

A Kalona man is facing felony charges after being accused of stealing a livestock trailer and using it to pilfer four cows.

Michael Escher, 19, stole a 16-foot livestock trailer from Frytown Trailers in Kalona and later loaded four cows from Oxford Sale Barn in Oxford onto it, according to Johnson County Sheriff's office complaints.

Escher is charged with two counts of second-degree theft, a class-D felony, a count of first-degree theft, a class-C felony, and third-degree burglary, a class-D felony, according to the Johnson County jail. He was released Tuesday morning.

The thefts took place overnight between July 26 and 27, according to the complaints. The cows were reported stolen July 27. Escher, who admitted stealing the trailer and loading the cattle onto it, told authorities he intended to sell the cows.

The trailer had a value of about $10,400, while the cows had a value of about $7,000, according to the complaints.

Reach Holly Hines at hhines2@press-citizen.com or at 319-887-5414, and follow her on Twitter: @HollyJHines.