ST. CROIX — Police have arrested Kirk Benoit of Estate Ruby for shooting and killing another man’s horse on Tuesday, VIPD Public Information Officer Kevin Jackson announced on Thursday.
According to Jackson, officers were dispatched to the Estate Glynn area by the 911 call center to investigate a report of animal cruelty. Upon arrival on the scene, officers met with the owner of the horse who stated that at approximately 4:30 p.m. the same afternoon, he discovered his horse with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to its left flank.
The horse owner said he’d last seen the animal on June 15 at 5:30 p.m. with no injuries. He also said he knew who’d shot the horse and described the man as a “tall, black Rasta,” later identified as Benoit.
When approached by the owner, Benoit said he had indeed shot the horse but it was an accident. The animal was later euthanized by a veterinarian.
Benoit was charged with first degree animal abuse and remanded to the Bureau of Corrections pending his advise-of-rights hearing.
Feature Image: Mugshot of Kirk Benoit, provided by the Virgin Islands Police Department.
Tags: animal cruelty, horse, kirk benoit
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