Horse Found Beaten and Shot to Death in Middle of Street

LOS ANGELES, CA - A dead horse was found beaten and shot in the middle of a public street near Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley this morning.

The Los Angeles Police Department's Animal Cruelty Task Force was investigating the death deceased animal, which was found about 10:30 a.m. laying in the 11700 block of Kagel Canyon Road, according to LAPD Detective Eric Bixler of the Foothills Division.

"Sometime between midnight and 7 a.m., someone beat and/or killed a horse and left it with its tail tied to a telephone pole with a rope," Bixler said. "This was done intentionally and maliciously. It's very strange, this whole thing."

The animal was transported to San Bernardino, where a necropsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death, Bixler said. Investigators already determined, however, that the animal was badly beaten and suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

"The horse has been cleared out from the scene, where there was evidence left -- we believe we will be able to identify who did this," Bixler said, noting that anyone with information about the crime should contact authorities.

City News Service