Two dozen horses die in alleged arson at upstate New York race track… as police arrest man (32) and PETA calls for serious repercussions

A 32-year-old man has been arrested and charged with arson after allegedly setting fire to a barn in New York on Thursday, killing more than two dozen racehorses.

The tragic events took place at the Tioga Downs Casino complex in Nichols, New York, about an hour south of Syracuse.

New York State Police say they responded to a building fire and later issued a statement confirming that “more than 20 racehorses died” in the blaze.

The statement added: ‘One person who entered the burning barn in an attempt to rescue horses suffered second-degree burns and was transported to Robert Packer Hospital for treatment.’

Boyd H. Fenton was later named as a suspect before he was arrested and charged with third-degree arson, third-degree burglary, second-degree assault and second-degree criminal mischief.

Shortly after the arrest was made, PETA released a statement condemning Fenton’s alleged actions, with a spokesperson saying, “The despicable individual who allegedly set fire to a barn on the Tioga Downs harness track, killing several horses died, must be prosecuted in the broadest sense of the word. the law.

“PETA calls for animal cruelty charges to be filed and thanks the New York State Police for quickly arresting a suspect.

“We don’t know what would motivate someone to do something so terrible, other than insurance fraud or pure malice. The suffering of the horses burned alive is almost unimaginable, and these animals, as victims, must be taken into account in any prosecution.”

A video of the fire was posted by Harness Horses Uncovered on X, formerly known as Twitter, and showed a completely destroyed structure, with firefighters still working the ruins.

In the wake of the tragic incident, a GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for the Tioga Downs Horsemen. The $50,000 goal was quickly exceeded, with the total raised just under $100,000 as of Friday afternoon.