(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Pawnee County man who is accused of fatally shooting his mother’s two horses on their pasture at her residence in Yale has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty in Payne County District Court.
Monty Lee Fritchman, 41, of Maramec, was released from the Payne County Jail on $30,000 bail on Oct. 10, the day after his arrest at his workplace, court records show.
Fritchman was arraigned on the felony charges last week in Payne County District Court, to which he was ordered to return on Dec. 1 when he can ask for a preliminary hearing.
Fritchman allegedly shot one small white horse in the face and one medium red horse in the left shoulder — causing them to suffer and die, according to the charge filed last week.
Payne County Sheriff’s Deputy Bobby Miller wrote in an affidavit that he was sent at 6:54 p.m. on Oct. 8 to Yale on a call of shot horses.
Fritchman’s mother said that between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., her son had arrived at her residence and told her he was going to shoot her horses, the affidavit alleged.
“She advised he went into her residence and came out with a rifle, possibly an SKS-type rifle. He told her again that he was going to shoot her horses and started towards the horses’ pasture,” the affidavit alleged.
“She advised she got scared and left the residence and hid in the park in Yale. She advised a short time later she came back to the residence and a friend walked into the pasture and found two horses shot dead,” the affidavit alleged.
Fritchman’s mother “advised she was very scared of her son and afraid of what he might do to her,” the affidavit alleged.
“Due to the time of night and Mr. Fritchman being somewhere in Pawnee County, I was unable to speak to him,” the deputy wrote in his affidavit.
“I advised another deputy of what had happened and advised him to go by his workplace and try and locate him the following day,” the deputy wrote in his affidavit.
On Oct. 9, the day that Fritchman was arrested at his place of employment on Highway 177, his mother obtained an emergency protective order against him in Payne County District Court.
A final protective order — effective for three years — against Fritchman on his mother’s behalf was issued a week later by Payne County Special District Judge Katherine Thomas, court records show.
In her petition for a protective order, Fritchman’s mother wrote, “my son has told me many times how I have ruined his life and that he cannot change.
“He has verbally abused me for years. He has destroyed objects in my home because of his anger,” she wrote in her petition.
“His dad passed away about nine and one-half years ago due to a fall from a horse.
“Every time I am interested in another man, he threatens to drive them away in one form or another.
“I’ve met someone who is special to me and I bought a place in Maramec, Ok., and this man is living on and improving the place.
“He built a barn on the place and I bought two horses. About a week ago, I moved them to the Yale property.
“Last night (Oct. 8), about 5:30 p.m. my son drove into the yard, took the house key that I gave him, went into the house, got a gun, and told me he was going to kill my horses,” Fritchman’s mother wrote in her petition.
“They weren’t going to take me out like the horse that killed his dad, which was a freak accident.
“I got in my truck and left and about an hour later, my friend walked into the pasture and came back and said both horses were dead.
“Over the years, I’ve tried to reason with him (Fritchman) about his attitude, but he won’t listen.
“He’s destroyed objects in my house by kicking them. He kicked my dog and when I went to push him aside, he stuck his fist out, and I ran into and cut my lip.
“His anger comes in cycles and I never know when he’s going to explode. I fully believe he is capable of killing me,” Fritchman’s mother wrote in her protective order petition.
If convicted of killing his mother’s horses, Fritchman could be given a 10-year prison term and fined $1,000, court records show.
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