A Larimer County man accused of shooting and killing his neighbors’ cattle while driving around on a personal, off-road vehicle in April took a deal and pleaded guilty last week, according to court records.
Michael Hester, 37, pleaded guilty on Friday to three counts of aggravated animal cruelty and three counts of animal theft — all felonies — as part of a deal, court records show. The plea deal dropped 12 additional charges of aggravated animal cruelty, animal theft, shooting from a public road and felony trespassing from Hester’s case.
Crime
Deputies: Larimer Co. man arrested for killing cattle that belonged to neighbors
Hester could face two to six years in prison and fines of up to $500,000 on each charge.
The 37-year-old was arrested in April after several of his neighbors filed police reports claiming he shot at their cattle while driving a utility terrain vehicle, also known as a side-by-side.
Deputies with search warrants found seven dead cattle belonging to two neighbors, along with a critically injured eighth cow that had to be euthanized.
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Larimer County man pleads guilty to killing 8 of neighbors’ cattle
