A 29-year-old Plantersville man was arrested in early October after authorities reported finding 19 malnourished equine animals on his property.
The living conditions were so poor that another five animals already had died - including a horse whose remains were found with the hind legs tied to a tree, Grimes County sheriff's officials said.
Wenzel was charged on October 6 with a state jail felony for allegedly tying a horse by its hind legs to a tree, where it died. He also faces 24 Class A misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.
His arrest followed a court hearing in which Wenzel lost custody of all his horses, mules, ponies and donkeys, except one mustang, officials said.
A deputy went to Wenzel's 52-acre Planters Row property Sept. 27 after a neighbor complained of a foul odor coming from the land, Sheriff Don Sowell said.
The officer found equine animals with no food or water, and also dead horses, Sowell said. Some unidentifiable skeletal remains of equine animals also were found, he said.
"They were all very malnutritioned and neglected," Sowell said. "It was a very despicable scene. There was no sense in all of these horses being allowed to be in this condition. They were just being starved to death."
Sheriff's officials and Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society staff returned to the property Sept. 28 and Sept. 30, seizing 19 animals. One donkey was in such bad shape it had to be euthanized, officials said.
The surviving animals were taken to the Navasota Sale Barn to await a seizure hearing. At the hearing, Judge Joe Imhoff awarded the seized animals to Bluebonnet for adoption.
Wenzel was released from the Grimes County Jail on $27,000 bond, Sowell said.
He faces up to two years' incarceration and a $10,000 fine if convicted on the state jail felony charge. Each Class A misdemeanor charge carries up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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