Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office’s Animal Crimes Unit arrested Billy James Krantz of 48215 N. 19th Avenue in New River after three horses were found so severely malnourished and mistreated that one has already been euthanized by a veterinarian. Krantz was charged with a combination of felonies and misdemeanors, and is being held at the 4th Avenue Jail.
The Animal Crimes Unit was alerted to the situation by Maricopa County Sheriff’s patrol deputies. Upon questioning, Krantz stated he could not afford to feed and take care of the horses. The horses were removed from the property and transported to a veterinary clinic where, as already noted, one was deemed too ill to save, and the other two remain under the close supervision of the vet staff. Their fates remain uncertain at this time.
Krantz was charged with one count of cruel mistreatment with serious physical injury, a class 6 felony; two counts of failure to provide medical treatment, a class 1 misdemeanor; and one count of cruel neglect, a class one misdemeanor.