Nov 17, 2010 9:33 pm US/Eastern Man In Horse Slaughter Case Accepts Plea Deal
19-year-old Santiago Cabrera was arrested for his role in horse slaughterings in Miami-Dade County.
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Luis Cordero who was 18 at the time of his arrest is accused of offering to take money to slaughter two South Florida horses for their meat.
One of the two men accused of killing horses pleaded guilty Wednesday to several charges related to the horse killings that occurred last year including armed burglary and animal cruelty. In exchange, Santiago Cabrera will face a maximum of five years in jail and may face deportation.
Judge Sarah Zabel will ultimately decide how much time he will spend in jail during the sentencing hearing scheduled for December 17th.
Last month, Cabrera's attorney had tried to argue that his client was not competent for trial and the judge ordered a psychological evaluation. Cabrera's lawyer had said his client has the mentality of a 12-year-old due to a head injury he suffered as a child. On Wednesday, the judge ruled that Cabrera would be competent to stand trial and that's when his attorney said Cabrera would take the plea offer laid out by the state.
Zena Duncan, the lawyer for the second suspect, Luis Cordero, said she would not immediately accept the state's plea deal, which would require both men to spend the next five years in prison.
Assistant State Attorney Michael Von Zamft said the plea offer is available for a limited time.
"We have kept this open for quite awhile and by January 18th any plea offers are gone," Von Zamft told Judge Zabel at the hearing last month.
Several activists have been present at the hearings. On Wednesday, one of them reacted to the plea deal.
"It's my understanding that the defendant pleaded guilty and there will be a sentencing December 17th, I think the community will be greatly relieved that this violent crime – that the victims of it are going to see justice. I have great sympathies for Mr. Cabrera's family. It must be heartbreaking and tragic, but Mr. Cabrera had a choice. He chose to break a great many laws when he murdered and butchered these horses and he must take his punishment and as far as we're concerned the SPCA the punishment must be a minimum of five years in state custody. We're here to represent justice for the truly innocent victims of this crime, the horses," said Jeanette Jordan, president of the South Florida SPCA.
According to investigators Cabrera, 19, admitted to being paid $500 to lure a 5-year-old thoroughbred horse named "King Quizi" out of his stall at the A Lazy L Ranch ranch in the 12000 block of NW 157th Street. Police say Cabrera held the horse while another person slit his throat with the intent to sell the meat. Miami-Dade Police also said Cabrera admitted to the slaughtering of a second horse in Miami Gardens. Cabrera said he and three other suspects entered the ranch at 5400 NW 159 Street where a horse was slaughtered with the intent to sell meat. He told police he was paid $900 to help slaughter that horse.
Cabrera was arrested and charged with armed burglary, animal cruelty, killing a registered breed horse and breaking a fence.
Police arrested 18-year-old Cordero on similar charges. His case is scheduled to go to trial, but he has until mid-January to accept a similar plea deal.
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