BY JOHN REED LEADER EDITOR
KNOX — A bench warrant has been issued for Mary Gonzales, owner of 50 horses which were confiscated by the Starke County Sheriff’s Department on Oct. 4.
Many of the horses are being sheltered at the Starke County Fairgrounds in Hamlet, where the Oregon-Davis FFA Chapter is lending a hand to the Sheriff’s Posse with caring for the horses.
Six FFA members aided with feeding and watering along with general supervision of the horses while at the Starke County Fairgrounds.  The O-D FFA members assisting are: Jesse Awald, Kyle Awald, Ian Ferch, Andrew Hesters, Michael Keiper and Nathan Jernas.  Many community members and local businesses have also contributed supplies and time in an effort to help the neglected horses.

Some horses are being cared for at the homes of posse members.
The Hamlet Volunteer Fire Department has been assisting the FFA by providing water for the horses.
Prosecutor Julienne Havens has filed five counts of cruelty to animals and four counts of animals running at large. Both are Class B misdemeanors. When arrested, Gonzales will appear in Knox Municipal Court.
Lead investigator for the Oct. 4 incident was Det. Kelly Fisher of the Starke County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies, members of the Sheriff’s Posse, Havens and the Starke County Health Department were involved in the seizures, which began around 5 p.m.
Reports from Fisher provide more details on condition of the animals than was available in an Oct. 11 story.
Officers first went to Gonzales’ farm at 7360 E. 25 N., where they were met by Greg Lukak. Lukak claimed some of the horses were his. He also told officers he was helping care for the animals.
Fisher reported there was only straw in the lot.  Fisher had inspected the property and saw 10 to 15 horses, five mules and five to eight goats in the field. There was straw on the ground, five to six small containers without food or water. “The pasture did not appear to have very much green vegetation on it,” she reported.
She reported the animals appeared to be very bony. Several appeared to limp or have an old eye injury. All of the animals rib cages were very visible, she reported. Hooves were split and cracked “and did not appear to have been maintained.”
An outside water spigot was split and spraying water and had a hose connected to it, but it did not run to the animals.
At 1380 W. Toto Road, Gonzales’ other farm,  there also was little vegetation. All water troughs were empty and there was no grain. The animals were trying to eat some moldy hay.
Fisher said the horses at the Toto Road farm appeared very dehydrated and their rib cages were visible and hooves cracked and long.
One animal, a two-year-old black horse, was taken by Fisher to her farm because of its condition. A local vet called to the scene said it appeared to be very malnourished and needed special attention. It was wormed and its teeth filed, and it was given medication for swelling in the leg. The vet also said it needed to be away from other horses so it could eat undisturbed. It died on Oct. 8.
At Toto Road, Fisher said there was no electric in the house and no running water anywhere near the barn.
Police were able to talk to Gonzales, who said she would not discuss anything until she got her horses back.
The Indiana State Veterinarian inspected the animals on Tuesday, Oct. 9. He had not sent his report to Starke County as of Monday.