NW Miami-Dade man pleads for 2 stolen horses’ return

NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Days after a masked thief stole two of his horses, a Northwest Miami-Dade man is pleading for help from the community for the animals’ safe return.

Marlon Fernandez is feeling a wide range of emotions after, he said, the perpetrator stole Diesel and Shotgun, the horses he’s owned for 13 years.

“You’re heartbroken, you’re angry, you’re frustrated,” he said.

Fernandez said his roping horses, worth about $15,000 each, were snatched from their stable near Northwest 154th Street and Okeechobee Road, at around 9:30 p.m., Thursday.

“They’re like family members,” said Fernandez.

Surveillance video captured the thief as he walked behind a trailer, his face covered by what appears to be a handkerchief. Seconds later, he is seen walking back around.

It was at that moment that, Fernandez said, the subject shifted the camera, blocking the view of the theft.

“He’ll walk in front of the camera, covered up, obviously,” said Fernandez. “He’ll jump onto another trailer and push the camera over onto the roof of another trailer, where you apparently cannot see where he exited with the horses.”

Fearing the worst, the owner immediately called police, knowing the gruesome fate that may have befallen Diesel and Shotgun.

“It’s been commonly known down here that when a horse is stolen, they get slaughtered, and then the meat is sold,” he said. “That’s definitely something we don’t want to happen.”

Now, as police investigate, Fernandez is hoping the surveillance video will help police track down the thief and bring his family back together​​.

“We roped with them … but aside from that, they’re pets,” he said. “Our kids ride them, our family members ride them. They go on trails with them.”

If you have any information on the theft of these horses, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.

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