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| Monica Cooper, 54, a 17-year veteran of the Harris County Deputy Sheriff's Office |
On July 1 around 5:30 p.m. a volunteer of a Splendora stable noticed a dark colored Ford or Chevrolet, 4 door pickup pulling a sixteen foot newer model stock trailer. The volunteer stopped the truck and the driver of the truck, described as an older woman with short gray hair, approached the volunteer. The driver stated she was with Montgomery County and had two horses that needed to be dropped off.
As the volunteer parked and walked back to the riding arena to look at the horses the driver fled north on Tram Road toward FM 2090.
The stable volunteer was shocked by the sight of the two horses. Before her was one horse on the ground near starvation, and another in very bad shape.
The volunteer and several others spent the day trying to save the horses. One was able to eat and move freely but the horse in the worst shape was given B-12 and several IV fluids through out the day.
Deputy Morrow with the Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constables Office Livestock Division responded to the scene. After seeing the conditions of the horses he contacted Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace James Metts to obtain a warrant for Montgomery County to legally take possession of the horses.
Volunteer’s continued to work into the night to care for the two horses, but one of the horses had to be put down.
On Monday Monica Cooper, 54, a 17-year veteran of the Harris County Deputy Sheriff's Office, was charged with two counts of cruelty to animals. She has been put on Administrative leave.
Cooper is also the subject of an internal investigation to determine if she violated any HCSO policies.
At Cooper's home Monday evening, no one was there. The gate was locked, but out back, four horses were feasting on hay. It's how Barbara Logan knows her neighbor.
"They're well-fed. None of them are hungry, none of them are sick," Logan said.
Next door, we heard a different story.
"Neglect, no food, no water, no good source of shelter," neighbor Raquel Campos said.
And Campos' opinion is now supported by criminal charges linked to two horses believed dumped by Cooper in Montgomery County back in July. A volunteer at the Splendora stable found one horse barely able to stand, another too weak to do so, and both were emaciated. The one on the ground, despite their efforts, was too far gone to save.
Cooper is a 17-year veteran with the Harris County Sheriff's Office. In a statement to Eyewitness News, a spokesman says, "Although the criminal charge against her does not appear to directly involve her HCSO duties, all law enforcement employees are expected to set an example in following all laws."
Logan hasn't seen anything different.
"She cares for them like we would care for our own babies," Logan said.
But Campos says she's seen this.
"She should know better," Campos said.
Cooper, who is assigned to the sheriff's patrol division, has been put on paid administrative leave. Cooper has been arrested but is not in jail. Court records show that her bail was originally set at $1,000 for each count.
We wanted to ask Cooper about these charges, but when she saw us at her home Monday night, she quickly turned around and sped off.
(KTRK, KBTX - Sept 23, 2013)
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