Two pet ponies apparently shot to death in Riverside County

Riverside County resident Fernando Ibarra continues to search for answers after someone shot his beloved pet ponies to death over the weekend.

"I mean why? Why do it?" he asked.

Ibarra said he uses the land off Reche Canyon road as extra space for his family and moved the ponies there a few years ago.

"They would follow me around everywhere," he said. "If I were to move 10-20 feet, they're right behind me."

The Colton landowner said he left the property on Friday night. However, when he returned on Monday, he found Trigger under some shade with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his neck. Ibarra said the apparent round pierced through the right side of the pony's neck and left a small exit wound on the other side.

"It must have been a small caliber handgun," he said.

The next day, Ibarra found Brownie in a nearby creek. They believe she was also shot.

"Before we got to her, she had already been gutted out by the coyotes, so I couldn't find the bullet wound," Ibarra said.

The heartbroken owner said his ponies were friendly towards everybody. The thought that anyone could do this to his beloved pets frustrated him.

"I'm infuriated," he said. "I can't get my head around that."

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department said they launched an investigation.