St. Clair County man charged with neglecting horses

BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) - A southern Illinois man has been charged with neglecting four horses, which authorities say were severely underweight when they were discovered last spring.

The Belleville News Democrat reports that (http://bit.ly/1LRr9wb ) 36-year-old Damion Lyons of East St. Louis was charged with four counts of animal cruelty on Thursday.

An Illinois State Police trooper discovered the horses last May when he found one of the horses grazing in a highway median. The other horses were nearby.

Prosecutors say that Lyons "knowingly starved" the horses, three geldings and a mare.

St. Clair County Judge John Bricevic signed a warrant for Lyons' arrest and set bail at $50,000 on Thursday. Lyons already was in custody on firearms charges.

Authorities say all four horses since have found new homes and are now doing well.