ILLINOIS -- A woman has been charged with stealing a valuable show horse from a Chicago stable.
Dawn Sadoff, 43, has been charged with burglary and theft of a horse for allegedly stealing a Lipizzaner named Hunter from the Noble Horse stable in the city's Old Town neighborhood. The Chicago woman was ordered held on $90,000 bond during a court appearance Monday.
Cook County prosecutors said Sadoff burglarized the stable on Aug. 7, leading the horse out of the stable and into a trailer. It was recovered a few days later at a stable in far west suburban Elburn.
Sadoff, who once worked at the Noble Horse stable, denies the allegations.
Defense attorney Nicolas Albukerk said Sadoff was owed money for a horse she had sold to the owner of the Noble Horse stable earlier this year. He said Sadoff took Hunter to complete the deal.
"This is not great detective work," he said, noting that Sadoff alerted the local media that she had the horse once it was reported missing. "We don't deny that she had the horse."
unter was on loan to the Noble Horse stable for an upcoming series of dinner shows. It is estimated that he is worth as much as $70,000.
Meanwhile, Assistant State's Attorney Erin Antionetti said charges are pending against Sadoff in Lake County in a separate case. Prosecutors there have charged Sadoff with forgery and deceptive practices for allegedly passing about $4,000 worth of bad checks at a currency exchange.
(The Associated Press - Aug 27, 2003)
