LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The case against a teen accused of stabbing three horses over the weekend could be moved into the adult court system.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson is asking a juvenile judge to make that decision. The teen is three months shy of her 18th birthday, Wolfson confirmed. FOX5 sources had previously indicated the suspect was just a few months from turning 18.
“We have a saying here in the DA’s office when you think you’ve seen everything you go to work the next day,” Wolfson said. “This is a first of its kind if you will. We receive a lot of animal abuse cases, we all know that mostly it’s dogs or cats, but horses, and the manner in which this abuse occurred, yes I was surprised and frankly a little shocked.”
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said officers were called about 2:07 a.m. Saturday to a report that a horse had been injured at a barn area at South Point Casino, where a barrel racing competition was being held. Police said three horses were intentionally injured with a sharp object, and the injuries were not considered life-threatening but were expected to prevent the horses from competing.
LVMPD’s Animal Cruelty Section identified a teenage girl as a possible suspect, police said, and took her into custody. She was booked into Clark County Juvenile Hall, police said.
Police said the teen faces 12 counts of willful or malicious killing, maiming or torturing an animal and three counts of felony malicious destruction of property.
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Details of the case
According to case documents Wolfson reviewed, three different horses were stabbed. One horse was stabbed a quarter inch from its jugular vein, and a veterinarian said if it had been a little closer to the jugular it could have been fatal, Wolfson said. One of the horses was stabbed five times, another horse four times and another horse three times. The evidence will show the juvenile stabbed 12 times, Wolfson said.
One of the horses was valued at $350,000, he said.
“These horses were very, very vulnerable,” Wolfson said.
Wolfson said his office immediately made the decision after reviewing the evidence that the certification process is appropriate.
Certification process
The juvenile judge will review the evidence, her background and the seriousness of the crime. Both the prosecution and defense attorney will make arguments as to why the case should or should not move to the adult court system.
“There’s a number of factors here — there’s the seriousness of the offense, number two the juvenile’s background, number three whether the services of the juvenile court are more appropriate or whether this individual should be treated as an adult,” Wolfson said.
If the judge decides to keep the case at the juvenile level, it would not be considered a criminal case, according to Wolfson. Juveniles are not accused of committing crimes but are accused of committing delinquent acts, he said. But juveniles can be punished just like adults, he said.
If the case stays in juvenile court, a juvenile judge will determine the appropriate punishment, whether that is ordered services or mental health treatment, Wolfson said. If it goes to the adult system, the same options would apply.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean she is going to go to jail,” Wolfson said. “I don’t know much about this young woman. I’m sure we will learn about her, whether she has mental health issues, but as the case proceeds there is a level of justice, there is a desire and need to deter others.”
Reba’s Law
Wolfson said Reba’s Law does not change much if the case stays in juvenile court. He said he is fairly confident his office will achieve a conviction.
Reba’s Law increased the possible punishment by one year, Wolfson said.
“So it really didn’t do that much,” he said. “We were hoping we could have gotten much more punishment in the new law, but we got an increase and we are pleased with that. But at the end of the day it’s a question whether she is convicted of a felony in the adult system and whether she should go to prison or probation with appropriate conditions.”
Community response
Wolfson said he has received a lot of emails, messages and phone calls from concerned citizens. The equine community has also reached out to him, he said.
“Animal abuse is just not tolerated in this community,” Wolfson said. “I am going to do what I think is right under the circumstances. This case is no different than any other case. We balance the needs of the community with the background of this individual, but at the end of the day it will actually be a judge who determines her fate.”
Wolfson said his office believes there was a conscious decision to commit these acts because of the nature of the behavior — three different horses stabbed in three different stalls.
“We believe there was a degree of premeditation,” he said.
The teen suspect remains in custody until her next court appearance later this week.
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