A teenage barrel racing competitor has been arrested and accused of stabbing three horses at a Las Vegas event this weekend, police said.
The teenage girl, who has not been identified, has been booked for 12 counts of willful or malicious killing, maiming or torturing an animal, and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property over $5,000.
The incident took place Saturday at the National Barrel Horse Association’s Professional’s Choice Las Vegas Super Show at the South Point Casino.
“Patrol officers arrived and learned that three horses had been intentionally injured with a sharp object,” the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release.
“Through the course of the investigation, detectives identified a teenage girl as a possible suspect. The teen had access to the barn, and investigators believe she may have used a knife to inflict multiple injuries to the horses,” the statement continued.
The injuries are not considered life-threatening but the animals were prevented from competing, police added.
Police found the suspect at a nearby hotel and transported her to Clark County Juvenile Hall.
The National Barrel Horse Association said the event “experienced an isolated incident during the early morning hours of Saturday, May 30, involving the mistreatment of a limited number of equine athletes by an event competitor.”
“The individual involved has been removed and placed in the care of authorities, and there is no ongoing threat of any kind,” the group said in a statement. “All appropriate steps have been taken to ensure the well being of all horses. We ask for respect and understanding for all involved during this sensitive time.”
Fellow competitor Cali Raymer, 17, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she had spoken to the suspect “a few times.”
“It’s kind of scary that something like that would happen here,” Raymer told the newspaper.
The barrel racing competition ran from Friday through Sunday.
