A Sonoma County man facing felony animal cruelty charges in the death of a black gelding found tied to a barbed-wire fence on Todd Road will go to trial after attempts failed to reach a plea agreement, his lawyer said Friday.
Jose Valencia Galvez, 51, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of cruelty to animals and one count of being a felon in possession of a gun.
He was arrested Jan. 1, 2008 along with another man, Monico Mijarez, 41, after authorities received reports of the horse abandoned near the road without food or water in 100-degree heat. The horse was later euthanized because of its condition.
Mijarez pleaded guilty last year to a single count of animal cruelty in exchange for the dismissal of an abandonment charge. According to court records, a similar offer has been made to Galvez but has been rejected.
His lawyer, Robert Schell, said Galvez is not guilty of either the cruelty or gun charges. He faces up to five years in prison, loss of his legal resident status and deportation if convicted of a felony, Schell said
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