A California woman was arrested Wednesday after 27 dead horses were found across her multiple properties, officials said.
Jan Johnson, of Clements, was booked in the San Joaquin County Jail on charges of cruelty to an animal, threatening a public official, criminal threats and possession of a short-barrel shotgun.
Sheriff's deputies along with Animal Services officers executed a search warrant at properties in Clements, located about 40 miles southeast of Sacramento, as part of an ongoing animal neglect investigation.
"During the operation, several malnourished horses were discovered on the premises with limited access to any food or water and approximately 27 deceased horses were located," the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Animal Services officers and veterinarians immediately began to triage and evaluate the horses. Four horses and one bull had to be euthanized because of the neglect, the sheriff's office said.
Sixteen horses were rescued and placed in the care of the Oakdale Equine Rescue, which will provide medical attention, nutrition and rehabilitation.
The sheriff's office said that because of the size of the properties, they are still evaluating other animals found during the search.
