A teenage girl has been arrested after authorities say she intentionally injured three horses during a barrel racing event in Las Vegas. According to PEOPLE, the incident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, when police received a call about an injured horse inside a barn. Officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to the scene and discovered three horses that appeared to have been cut with a sharp object.
Following an investigation by the department’s Animal Cruelty Section, detectives identified a teenage girl as the suspect. Authorities believe she used a knife to harm the horses and noted that she had access to the barn.
Horses Injured but Expected to Recover
Police confirmed that the injuries were non-life-threatening. However, the horses will reportedly be unable to compete in the 2026 NBHA Professional Choice’s Las Vegas Super Show at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center. The suspect was later taken into custody after being spotted at a hotel.
She now faces 12 counts of willful or malicious killing, maiming, or torturing an animal, along with three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property valued at more than $5,000.
Competitor Speaks Out
One competitor, Arielle Phillips, said her horse, Detail, received treatment after sustaining stab wounds to the chest and shoulder. According to the New York Post, Phillips claimed the suspect had previously stalked her.
“Two minutes after I left her stall at 12:02 a.m., this psychopath went in and brutally stabbed her 6 times at 12:04 a.m., causing Detail to go frantic and get loose, taking off through the barn aisles, blood pouring everywhere,” she said.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed the stalking allegations.