A teenage girl has been arrested after a horrifying incident at a barrel racing competition at South Point Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, that left three horses injured by a sharp object.
What began as a shocking early morning call quickly turned into a heartbreaking case of animal cruelty. Police were called to South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa on Saturday morning after reports of an injured horse at the massive equestrian facility located just outside the Las Vegas Strip.
But when officers arrived, the situation was even worse than anyone imagined. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, three horses had suffered injuries through stabbing.
Detectives from the animal cruelty division soon identified a 17-year-old girl who reportedly had access to the barn as a possible suspect.
According to police, she faces 12 counts of willful/malicious kill/maim/torture of an animal and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property over $5,000.
Teen girl arrested after allegedly stabbing three horses at Las Vegas racing event
The horses received medical treatment for the injuries, which luckily were not life-threatening. They are expected to recover completely but no longer be able to compete in the immediate future.
The disturbing incident has left many animal lovers stunned and searching for answers. The National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) released a statement, saying it was an “isolated” incident. “All appropriate steps have been taken to ensure the well-being of all horses,” they added.
However, the NBHA claimed that the alleged stabber was actually involved as an “event competitor.”
“The 2026 NBHA Professional’s Choice Vegas Super Show, held May 29-31 at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas, experienced an isolated incident during the early morning hours of Saturday, May 30, involving the mistreatment of a limited number of equine athletes by an event competitor,” The statement read:
No ongoing threat
The statement concluded, “The individual involved has been removed and placed in the care of authorities, and there is no ongoing threat of any kind. We ask for respect and consideration for all involved during this sensitive time.”
The LVMPD urges anyone with any information about this incident to contact the LVMPD Animal Cruelty Detail by phone at 702-828-3364. To remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555 or on the internet at www.crimestoppersofnv.com.
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