Saturday, April 27, 2013

Indiana Sheriff's Deputy charged with animal cruelty

INDIANA -- Police arrest a Washington County deputy sheriff after they say they found dead and unhealthy cattle on his farm and his mother's property.

66-year-old Larry Motsinger of Motsinger Road near Pekin in Washington County, Indiana, surrendered to the county jail Wednesday afternoon.


He's charged with 14 counts of animal cruelty and two counts of improper disposal of a dead animal.

Indiana State Police say they started an investigation into Motsinger's farm one month ago, after a trooper and a veterinarian had assessed the condition of cattle there.  They had responded to a complaint of animal neglect, a news release said.

There was no word when Motsinger would appear in court in Salem or his status with the sheriff's department. His case includes two felony charges and 14 misdemeanors.

Harrison County Prosecutor Otto Schalk is handling the case as a special prosecutor to avoid any conflict of interest among Washington County officials.

(WDRB - April 24, 2013)