Animal Recovery Mission calling for stiff punishments against alleged horse abuser

Manuel Coto was arrested earlier this month in Okeechobee County on 9 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty toward horses, and one felony charge of animal cruelty resulting in the death of a horse.

AND EVEN ILLEGAL SLAUGHTERINGOPERATIONS HERE IN FLORIDA FORMORE THAN A DECADE.

NOW- THEFOUNDER OF THE ANIMAL RECOVERYMISSION- SAYS ONE OF HIS MAINTARGETS IS FACING MORE CRUELTYCHARGES RIGHT IN OURBACKYARD... WPTV NEWSCHANNEL5'S MEGHAN MCROBERTS SITS DOWNWITH HIM TO TALK ABOUT HOW ARECENT ARREST IS A FULL-CIRCLE MOMENT FOR HIS RESCUE.<<ON MANY ACRES IN SOUTHFLORIDAREFUGE- FROM CRUELTY.

NATS?(12:44:18;07, OR WHATEVER YOULIKE) BUT THIS HORSE WAS THEFIRSTCOUTOFLIGHT WAS A RACEHORSE& FROMTHE SAME BLOODLINE AS THEFAMOUS RACEHORSE- SECRETARIAT.12:26:03;15“HE WAS ABOUT A 3MILLION DOLLAR HORSE.

AND ONEBREAK- 50 BUCKS” RICHARD SAYSFREEDOM'S FLIGHT WAS SOLD TOSLAUGHTERTO A TREE ON A MIAMIPROPERTY-- OWNED BY A MANNAMED MANUEL COTO.

12:26:45;28“HE WAS ON DEATHHE WAS TIED TO THE KILL TREEWHERE THEY WOULD STAB THEHORSE TO DEATH AT MANUELCOTOFIRST ALLEGED SLAUGHTERHOUSE -RICHARD EVER STEPPED FOOT ON.HE RESCUED FREEDOMTHE MOMENT HE DECIDED TOCREATE THE ANIMAL RECOVERYMISSION... 12:27:24;14“REALLYWHAT THAT DAY DID WAS REALLYSPUR A FIRE UNDER ME.

I DIDNKNOW THAT ILLEGALSLAUGHTERHOUSES EXISTED IN THEUNITED STATES.

CERTAINLY NOTIN FLORIDA.

CERTAINLY NOT 10MINUTES FROM SOUTH BEACH”RICHARD HAS SINCE TRIEDGETTING COTO BEHIND BARS FORMORE THAN A DECADE.12:28:47;27“FROM ARMINVESTIGATING MANUEL COTO, ITHAS LED TO PROBABLY 4 TO 5RAIDS ON HIS PROPERTY ANDWE5 TIMES.

HE REOPENS A MONTHLATER” COTO HAS FACED LEGALTROUBLE- IN 2017 HE WASSENTENCED FOR ANIMAL NEGLECTAS WELL AS SELLING ANDPOSSESSING ILLEGAL HORSE MEAT.HE SPENT ONE DAY IN JAIL FORTHE CRIMES.

RICHARD HOPES THATWON'T BE THE CASE IN THELATEST OF COTO'S ARRESTS ONANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES... NOWIN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY.12:29:03;22“HE LAUGHS ATGOVERNMENT.

HE LAUGHS ATPOLICE” 23 HORSES WERE SEIZEDLAST MONTH FROM A PROPERTYLITTERED WITH ANIMAL BONES.INVESTIGATORS SAY TEN WEREMALNOURISHED.

ONE HAD TO BEEUTHANIZED.

12:34:34;01“MANUEL COTO IS SLIPPINGTHROUGH THE SYSTEM ONCE AGAIN.ITNOT GUILTY AND WAS RELEASEDFROM JAIL ON HIS OWNRECOGNIZANCE& NOT HAVING TOPAY ANY BAIL.

HIS LAWYER GAVEUS A STATEMENT SAYING IN PART"THERE ARE MANY ASPECTS OFTHIS CASE INVOLVINGRESPONSIBLE THIRD PERSONS,FUGITIVES FROM JUSTICE ANDOTHER EVIDENCE THAT WASIGNORED, SELECTIVELY OMITTEDAND WHICH POINTS TO OURCLIENTRICHARD SAYS HEBACKING DOWN.

13:17:20;19“ILIFE.

MY PERSONAL HORSE,FREEDOMHIS HANDS AND IAGAINST MANUEL COTO” MM NC 5