California horse may have been killed by crossbow shot. It’s the third animal death in two months

Police in Northern California are searching for a suspect after a horse was found dead July 25 from an apparent shot to the head from a crossbow bolt — the third death of an animal in rural Sutter County since May.

The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call for the latest death around 1:30 p.m. after a resident found a mare dead on a property near South Butte Road in Sutter, deputies said in a news release.

Deputies and county animal control officials said the horse had a visible wound to the head from what appeared to be a crossbow bolt, a dart projectile that’s typically shorter than an arrow.

“No crossbow bolt was located as we believe the suspect(s) had removed the crossbow bolt prior to fleeing the scene,” deputies said.

It came two months after two calves were found shot and killed by a crossbow bolt less than 3 miles south along Lincoln Road and Clements Road near the Sutter Bypass. Deputies said both bolts were recovered as evidence.

As part of its ongoing investigation, the Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about the cases to call Detective Evans at 530-822-2210 or to email TEvans@co.sutter.ca.us.

This story was originally published August 3, 2023 at 11:23 AM with the headline "California horse may have been killed by crossbow shot. It’s the third animal death in two months."