Attorneys/Judges
| Prosecutor(s): | Mark Zubiate | | Defense(s): | Catherine A. Schwartz | | Judge(s): | Edward Webster |
CONVICTED: Was justice served?
more information on voting
When you vote, you are voting on whether or not the punishment fit the crime, NOT on the severity of the case itself. If you feel the sentence was very weak, you would vote 1 star. If you feel the sentence was very strong, you would vote 5 stars.
Please vote honestly and realistically. These ratings will be used a a tool for many future programs, including a "People’s Choice" of best and worst sentencing, DA and judge "report cards", and more. Try to resist the temptation to vote 1 star on every case, even if you feel that 100 years in prison isn’t enough.
Case #4736 Rating: 2.0 out of 5
Horse neglect - 29 seized
Mira Loma, CA (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Jun 2, 2005
County: Riverside
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Lacie Lynn Caron
Case Updates: 5 update(s) available
On June 2, Riverside County Animal Control officers seized all of the Limonite Riding Stables' 29 horses on allegations of animal cruelty. Some of the horses at the rental operation were going hungry while others had been neglected and suffered from various ailments, some serious, county director of Animal Services Robert Miller said.
Four horses were diagnosed with serious heart problems and three of the four apparently were still being rented out despite their medical condition, he said.
The fourth horse was pregnant and will likely not survive giving birth, Miller added.
Animal Services had responded to numerous complaints in the past, 16 this year alone, and had given the owner, Lacie Caron (age 41), fair warning to correct the problems, he said.
"She's been cited numerous times on neglect issues," Miller said. "She had an opportunity to bring a veterinarian in and care for these horses."
Her stepdaughter, Amber Caron of El Monte, charged Animal Services with ongoing harassment.
"We've never neglected our horses in 25 years," Caron said. "It's totally blown out of proportion."
Miller, however, said many of the horses appeared to be lacking basic care.
Some of the animals were foundering or suffering from hoof infections, he said.
Earlier this year, Animal Services seized Caron's dog and charged her with failing to treat the pet's broken leg, Miller said.
"It was fractured," he said.
As for the horses, Animal Services plans to submit its findings to the Riverside District Attorney's Office within the next 10 days.
Depending on the condition of each animal, Caron could face up to 29 felony counts for the horses and an additional count for neglecting her dog, Miller said.
In the meantime, Caron's horses have been placed in foster care and will be receiving veterinary care, he said.
Case UpdatesA Mira Loma woman was sentenced to five years probation and 240 days in jail and ordered to pay $180,000 restitution in a 2005 animal cruelty case in which 29 horses were seized from her riding stables.
Superior Court Judge Edward Webster sentenced Lacie Lynn Caron, 45, Friday afternoon.
Among the conditions of her probation, Caron is not allowed to keep any other animals, but Webster granted an exception for her Chihuahua puppy, named Wednesday. Caron must get the small dog licensed and a microchip implanted, which Riverside County requires for all dogs and cats in the unincorporated area.
"She had way too many animals to take car of and clearly did not take care of them," Webster said about the horses seized in June 2005 and a dog with an untreated broken leg. But he thought a small pet was reasonable for someone living alone.
When the horses were seized, some were emaciated and some suffered from hoof problems, said Rita Gutierrez, field service commander for Riverside County's Department of Animal Services. Four of the equines died or had to be euthanized because of their poor condition.
"I believe this is an outrageous form of animal cruelty," said Deputy District Attorney Mark Zubiate. "These animals were not properly watered. They were not properly fed," even though they were being ridden. "She was making money off these horses," he said.
Caron, who pleaded guilty in July to three felony animal cruelty counts, declined to comment after the sentencing. She will begin serving her jail time Jan. 29.
"This has been a long time coming for our department," said John Welsh, a spokesman for the Department of Animal Services. "We're very happy there's finally some resolution here."
The $180,000 covers most of the costs for the county to board and care for the horses, he said.
"The taxpayers were footing the bill for animals that in our view were neglected for far too long."
Animal services officers visited the Limonite Riding Stables in Western Riverside County repeatedly, asking where the horses' water was daily before they filled the water bins themselves on the third day, Welsh said. | Source: Press-Enterprise - Dec 4, 2009
Update posted on Dec 6, 2009 - 4:34PM |
The sentencing of a Mira Loma woman who pleaded guilty to mistreating horses at her riding stable was postponed Friday after Riverside County Department of Animal Services officials requested $197,000 in restitution.
Superior Court Judge Edward Webster set a Dec. 4 sentencing date after Catherine A. Schwartz, the attorney for Lacie Lynn Caron, said she needed time to review the bill.
John Welsh, a spokesman for the Department of Animal Services, said taxpayers deserve to be repaid for the costs of nursing the equines back to health.
Caron, 45, pleaded guilty in July to three felony animal cruelty counts. She had been charged with 29 counts of felony animal cruelty.
Animal services investigators seized 29 horses from the Limonite Riding Stables in June, 2005 after an investigation triggered by complaints that the animals were not being cared for properly.
Animal services spent months rehabilitating the horses which were eventually put up for adoption.
Four of the equines died or had to be euthanized because of their poor condition.
The $197,000 represented veterinary bills and boarding and feed costs.
"The taxpayers were paying for all that," Welsh said.
Caron faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison, but she likely will receive probation, a spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney's office said at the time of her plea. | Source: Press-Enterprise - Oct 24, 2009
Update posted on Oct 24, 2009 - 8:55PM |
| The arraignment for the Mira Loma stables owner charged with animal abuse was rescheduled to Aug. 30. Lacie Caron faces 15 counts of felony animal abuse after animal control officers seized 29 of her riding horses in June. | Source: Daily Bulletin - Aug 9, 2005
Update posted on Aug 10, 2005 - 2:18PM |
The owner of the Limonite Riding Stables, where animal control officers seized 29 horses in June, is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Riverside County Superior Court on 15 counts of felony animal cruelty, according to the Riverside County District Attorney's office.
Some of the riding horses found at Lacie Caron's rental stables were malnourished, while others suffered from various, and sometimes serious, health problems because of neglect, Riverside County animal control officer Jamie Simmons said.
The 41-year-old Caron faces a maximum sentence of 13 years in prison if found guilty on all counts, according to district attorney spokeswoman Ingrid Wyatt. Bond is expected to be set during arraignment.
Caron has been cited numerous times for failing to adequately care for her animals, according to Riverside County Animal Services.
Complaints about Caron's operation go back eight years, Simmons said.
The remaining horses were placed at a foster ranch.
A horse named "Red," that was initially expected to die, has since recovered and is doing well, she said.
As for the others, "they are thriving," Simmons said.
The horses are expected to remain in foster care until the trial is over. As to their ultimate disposition, that will be up to the jury, Simmons said. | Source: Daily Bulletin - Aug 8, 2005
Update posted on Aug 8, 2005 - 9:12AM |
The owner of a former riding stable faces 15 counts of felony animal cruelty for allegedly mistreating horses and ponies.
Authorities seized 29 animals from the Limonite Riding Stables in June and placed them at a "foster ranch." Two were in such bad shape they had to be destroyed, court records show.
On Wednesday, the Riverside County district attorney's office filed charges against Lacie Lynn Caron, who owned the stable. Caron, 41, could be sentenced to as much as 13 years in state prison if convicted.
Responding to complaints in March, an animal control officer visited Caron's business and found there was no food or water on the property, according to a report. The officer discovered similar conditions in subsequent visits, and noted that some of the horses appeared lethargic.
A veterinarian diagnosed the horses with conditions including viral upper-respiratory infections, heart failure, kidney failure, internal parasites, dehydration, neglected hooves, open wounds from saddle abrasions, poor coats, malnutrition, emaciation, neglected teeth, skin infection and lice, according to court records.
The animal services department "rescued the animals from further suffering and possibly saved their lives by removing them from Lacie Caron's neglectful care," the officer wrote in a document supporting Caron's arrest. | Source: San Luis Obispo - Aug 5, 2005
Update posted on Aug 7, 2005 - 1:52AM |
References« CA State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Riverside County, CA
|
