A man was arrested after setting loose four expensive horses at Grand Oaks Resort in Weirsdale.
Mark Anthony Hunt, 55, of Fruitland Park, was arrested at about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday after he unlocked six of the horse stables, allowing four horses to escape and run loose on the 400-acre property located at 3000 Marion County Road, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Hunt, a native of Kentucky, said he “felt that the horses should be free and not locked up inside of cages,” the report said. He also said he was planning to ride one of the horses off the property.
The horses each are valued between $20,000 to $80,000, depending on the horse.
As Grand Oaks staffers tried to search for and corral the horses, Hunt got into a gray Chevy truck with North Carolina plates and attempted to drive away. The staffers were able to pull Hunt out of the truck before he was able to steal it.
He was arrested on charges of attempted grand theft, attempted grand theft of a vehicle and burglary. He was booked at the Lake County Jail on $9,000 bond.
