Hearing in horse abuse case continued to February
NEW CUMBERLAND — An Idaho man accused of animal cruelty will have to wait until next month to have his case heard in Hancock County Magistrate’s Court.
Magistrate Omeka Petteway continued the case against Wilfredo O. Montano, who is accused of withholding food and medical care for six horses discovered barn located on Trotter Drive in New Cumberland.
A hearing had been set to take place Wednesday.
The new court date will be at 9 a.m. Feb. 19, at Hancock County Magistrate Court with Petteway presiding.
Montano faces six counts of cruelty to animals for withholding sustenance and six counts of cruelty to animals for withholding medical treatment, and currently is out on $15,000 bond. He previously entered a not guilty plea to the charges.
Under state law, such charges are misdemeanors, with those found guilty facing penalties of fines between $300 and $2,000, or up to six months in jail, or both, for each count.
Responding to a tip, a Hancock County deputy sheriff, as well as a representative from Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort, where Montano-trained horses race, went to the barn after another of Montano’s horses was reported to have gotten loose. The men reportedly found the horses severely malnourished and emaciated, and immediately seized them.
Montano’s defense attorney is Zachary C. Caffo.