ROYAL OAKS — The SPCA for Monterey County is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for the death of two horses.
According to the SPCA, on Oct. 17, the organization received a report of two deceased horses at a property on Strawberry Road in Royal Oaks. The officer reportedly found two badly decomposed horse carcasses inside two separate horse stalls.
The caretaker for the two horses was later identified as Benjamin Montano Hernandez.
Hernandez appears to have fled the property and his whereabouts are unknown at this time, according to the SPCA. Hernandez is a person of interest at this point and the investigation is ongoing.
He currently has an active arrest warrant for possession of stolen property and driving with a suspended license.
Hernandez is described as a 35-year-old Hispanic male, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing approximately 190 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.
Anyone with information is asked to call the SPCA at 373-2631 or report online at www.spcamc.org/humane-investigations/report-cruelty. All reports are confidential.
