Drowned Monkton Horse May Have Been Stolen from Farm

A from a Monkton farm on Oct. 16 and was later found drowned in a neighbor's pool may have been stolen, according to farm owner Gloria Finglass.

"It seemed crazy to me that we covered so much ground, but couldn't find him," she said.

Finglass said search dogs from Pure Gold Pet Trackers picked up the scent of Junior, the sorrel gelding, at the farm's front gate, an area where the 6-year-old horse would generally not be able to access. She said it appears that he was led across the yard, where tracks in the grass indicate a trailer was waiting.

It was initially believed that Junior, who belonged to Finglass's niece, Kelly Strucko, 15, may have escaped after a tree fell on a fence at the property, but the dogs did not pick up his scent at that location.

Baltimore County police were alerted to the horse's disappearance on Oct. 21. Spokeswoman Detective Cathy Batton said officers are working with the family and Pure Gold to investigate theft as a possibility.

Junior was found on Sunday in a neighbor's pool across the street.  Finglass said searchers had looked around the area but the pool, which is elevated from the house, was hidden.

"There were cattails all over and it was easy to overlook," she said.

She added that there was also no fence around the pool and the horse fell through a shredded old tarp.

Finglass said the neighbor had a maintenance man from a pool company do some work the day Junior went missing, but the horse wasn't in the pool at the time. However, when the man returned on Oct. 23, he discovered the gelding's body.

"Kelly is hysterical right now," Finglass said. "But I know she'll bounce back. I'm crying more than she is."

Junior was buried at the Monkton farm.