An arrest has been made in the drive by shooting of a horse pulling an Amish buggy in Lancaster County, PA on November 24. The horse died shortly after it was shot.
Timothy Antonio Diggs, 24, of Ronks, Lancaster County, was charged February 12 with five counts of reckless endangerment, one count of propulsion of missiles, and one count of cruelty to animals. Police consulted with the Lancaster County District Attorney before filing charges, said East Lampeter Township Lieutenant Robin Weaver. “Those were the charges that we agreed upon as appropriate,” he said.
The break in the case came as East Lampeter Township police investigated Diggs as a suspect in burglaries in East Lampeter and Upper Leacock Townships. Police executed a search warrant at his home on December 2, where they found stolen guns and a stolen motorcycle. Police believe one of the guns was the firearm used in the shooting of the horse.
“It was good, old fashioned police work,” Weaver said. “We were investigating an unrelated call and the evidence pointed in his direction. And there were tips from the general public that helped as well.”
Weaver said police believe Diggs acted alone and they don’t expect anyone else to be charged.
The stolen gun and the bullet recovered from the horse during a necropsy performed at the New Bolton Center are currently at the state crime lab. “The crime lab never gives a time frame for results,” Weaver said. “Because no one died in the shooting, the investigation will not be expedited.”
The horse was pulling a buggy carrying an Amish family of five around 9 pm on November 24 when it was shot from a vehicle that passed it. The occupants heard what they thought was a firecracker, and both vehicles continued on without stopping. There were no eyewitnesses other than the Amish family, Weaver said.
The buggy continued home, about a mile, and as the owner started to unhook the buggy he found blood on the horse’s mouth. A vet was called but the horse died of a chest wound shortly before he arrived.
The occupants of the buggy included three children ages 12, 9 and 7. No one was hurt.
When asked about a motive for the shooting, Weaver said, “I don’t think there was a clear motive. How do you rationalize an action like that?”
Diggs remains in Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $250,000 bail on charges of receiving stolen property related to the burglaries. Weaver was uncertain as to whether he had been arraigned on the charges from the shooting.