News 12 at 6 o'clock / Saturday, August 21, 2010

AIKEN COUNTY, SC-- A stolen horse was recovered in Aiken County last night, a long way from its' owner's home in Maryland. Aiken authorities say the $85,000 horse was first reported stolen in Frederick, Maryland. It was found Friday night nearly 600 miles away from home.

Websites show thousands of horses are stolen each year. More than two dozen are reported missing in Georgia and South Carolina right now on the Stolen Horse International website.

Many horse owners, like Aiken Julie Zapapas, say it's a crime that's hard to get away with. "You would really have to plan it... Like a bank heist." The thief would need a trailer to transport the horse and plenty of food. It can be dangerous, too. Horses are large animals and can be particular about who they interact with. It's apparently a very tricky kind of theft.

Aiken investigators say the Maryland owner was in the process of selling the horse to a broker, who allegedly stole it and resold it in South Carolina for much less than it was worth. The horse showed up in a boarding stable off Sizemore Road in Aiken. The owners of that stable are unrelated to the crime, according to authorities.

Julie isn't surprised to hear the crime was exposed here. "Well that actually makes sense that it was found in Aiken. It's a wonderful, small community and everyone looks out for each other. It's an established horse community and everybody does keep an eye on each other."

Authorities say they realized the horse was stolen after matching its' inner lip tattoo with a national identification database. "The thoroughbreds are usually tattooed if they're meant to go to the track," Julie explains. "The tattoo is done with an ink so it doesn't hurt them, it's not burned in. It's on their lip, and it's permanent."

Horse theft is becoming a hot topic. There are several Facebook groups and websites dedicated to helping find stolen horses, some worth tens of thousands of dollars. "Scary- the first thing that goes through my mind is I feel bad for the horse. You don't know if the people who stole it are going to take care of it. Whether it's for slaughter or for resale, my empathy goes to the horse first."

Investigators say the stolen horse is now on it's way back to its' owner in Maryland. The broker accused of the theft has not yet been identified but is possibly known for making underhanded deals in the horse community. The Frederick police department in Maryland was unable to comment on this ongoing investigation.