Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Rogue of the Year

Amy Platt of Bend says it's an image she won't soon forget.

On Saturday, she came home to find her four horses covered in blood. Two had been shot.

"There were four of them in the field, and they were all covered in blood, but she was the worst," she said Wednesday.

"This isn't okay," Platt said through the tears. "You can't go out there and shoot an innocent animal.

Police arrested Inga Kemnitz, the woman they say shot Platt's horses. Deschutes County sheriff's deputies say Kemnitz told officers she was shooting sage rats in a field. ((What???))

Platt, brought to tears at the thought of her distressed animals, says the whole thing confuses her. "We've never seen or spoke to this person," she said. "That's why it's so hard to wrap your head around why someone would do this to these beautiful, innocent horses. They're part of our family."

Sheriff's Sgt. Bryan Husband said around 9:25 p.m. Friday, a deputy patrolling eastbound on Hwy 20E east of Bend saw a woman running beside the road, a rifle in her hands.

The deputy stopped to talk to the woman, who identified herself as Kemnitz, 26, of Bend. More patrol deputies and detectives responded to assist with the investigation.

The owners of the horses were quickly identified as Platt and Justin Ward, who both responded to the scene. The horses were identified by their owners as a 3-year-old “Tobiono” paint mare quarter horse named “April,” and a 7-year-old “Dun” gelding quarter horse, named “Denny.”

Upon closer inspection of the horses, it was determined Denny had been shot in his head, just under his left eye, and April had been shot twice -- once in her chest area, and once in her hindquarter area.

The horses were loaded in a trailer by private party and transported immediately to the Bend Equine Medical Center.

Kemnitz initially was taken into custody by deputies for an outstanding local warrant and transported to the county jail.

On Sunday, more evidence linking Kemnitz to the animal abuse was located in the area of the horse pasture. Detectives went to the jail and added charges against Kemnitz, Husband said.

Husband said she faces three counts of first-degree aggravated animal abuse, two counts of first-degree criminal mischief, and a single count of criminal trespass while in possession of a firearm.

Kemnitz was arrested in April 2009 on numerous counts of theft, criminal trespass and other charges, accused of breaking into two cars and taking purses and other items at Black Butte Ranch, and other thefts in the Camp Sherman area.

12 comments:

Lori Skoog said...

Are the horses ok?

Anonymous said...

It sounds like the woman is seriously mentally disturbed. I hope the horses are OK.

Grey Horse Matters said...

I hope the horses made it? I can't believe they're only charging her with criminal mischief and trespassing and aggravated animal abuse. She SHOT other people's horses. She sounds like a nut case but still...

Drillrider said...

Insane woman! Can't imagine the horses owners coming upon that scene with their horses all laid out bleeding from gunshot wounds!!

I hope that the horses survive and the woman gets the maximum sentence allowed by law.

JJ said...

What a lunatic! Oh my gosh, she really needs to get help; anyone who would do something like that is not right in the head.

I hope those horses are alright :(

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

It sounds like she's on drugs to me. Maybe she'll OD and put herself out of society's misery. Every time I've had to stop a situation in which someone was being abusive toward animals, that person was always drunk or on drugs. I'm amazed the horses could be loaded into a trailer after such grave injuries.

Mikey said...

frickin unbelievable. Let's hope there's a horse lover in that jail with her.. hope she gets what she deserves.

Jean said...

This kind of stuff terrifies me. There's just no way to protect your horses against insanity.

Yes, do we know if the horses are OK?

*off to do an Internet search*

Jean said...

Bend Equine Medical Center has a Facebook page. Denny, the less seriously injured horse was sent home. April is still in their care but apparently recovering well after days of being in critical condition.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bend-OR/Bend-Equine-Medical-Center/142871223382

There is a link to donate money to the vet bills if you wish.



Thank goodness for some positive news out of this.

Stephanie - Siouxzeegirl Designs said...

How Horrible!!
I just can not understand such behavior.

I am so glad that the horses are recovering, as for this crazy lady... she really needs help and to be locked up for everyone's safety!

Fantastyk Voyager said...

OMG! WHY????!!

Callie said...

WTH? is the matter with people!