Teen Suspect in Las Vegas Horse Stabbings Could Be Tried as Adult, DA Says

• Teen accused of stabbing three horses could face adult prosecution
• Horse valued at $350,000 among animals injured in attack
• Prosecutors cite alleged cruelty and premeditation in court request

The teenage girl accused of stabbing three horses at a barrel racing event at South Point on May 30 is three months short of her 18th birthday and could be tried as an adult, according to Clark County DA Steve Wolfson.

In a statement issued Tuesday (June 2), Wolfson said he is asking a juvenile judge to transfer the case to adult court, arguing that the seriousness of the alleged crime meets the requirements for such a move under Nevada law.

“These allegations involve deliberate acts of extreme cruelty against defenseless animals and have had a significant impact on the victims, the owners, and the broader equestrian community,” Wolfson said. “Animal abuse cases are taken extremely seriously by our office.”

‘Obsessed Stalker’

The stabbings took place in the early hours of Saturday morning during the NBHA Supershow barrel racing event at South Point. The suspect has been described as a competitor in the event and also on social media as an “obsessed stalker” by the owner of one of the injured horses.

According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded to the casino at about 2 a.m. Saturday after receiving reports that a horse had been injured in a barn on the property.

Investigators quickly identified the teen as a person of interest. Police said she had access to the barn and is suspected of using a knife to inflict multiple injuries on three horses, Rocket, Sully and Detail.

Close to the Jugular

One of the horses was stabbed just a quarter inch from its jugular vein, and a veterinarian said the injury could have been fatal had it been any closer, Wolfson said.

All were in different stalls when they were attacked, which Wolfson suggested showed a “degree of premeditation.”

Multiple Charges

The suspect is facing 12 counts of willfully or maliciously killing, maiming, or torturing a horse and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property valued at more than $5,000, according to LVMPD.

The teen is scheduled to appear next in Clark County Juvenile Court on June 4. A certification hearing to determine whether the case should be transferred to adult court is expected to be scheduled at a later date, according to the district attorney’s office.

Casino.org is choosing not to identify the suspect because her name has not been publicly released by authorities. She is currently being held at the Clark County Detention Center.