
Woman arrested for neglecting, killing animals on her properties
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Law enforcement officials have arrested a California woman after discovering numerous deceased and malnourished animals across multiple properties she owned.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office took Jan Johnson of Clements into custody on Wednesday. She faces multiple charges, including animal cruelty, threatening a public official, criminal threats, and possession of a short-barrel shotgun.
Initially, authorities reported finding approximately 27 dead animals. However, subsequent searches of additional properties over the following days revealed a far more extensive tragedy. According to Sacramento’s KCRA-TV, investigators uncovered 53 deceased horses, one cow, and a dog. The situation was so dire that veterinarians had to euthanize 13 horses, along with a donkey and a bull.
#California 💔 😢 🐴 ➡️ In San Joaquin County, a woman named Jan Johnson was arrested following an animal neglect investigation where numerous dead and malnourished horses were discovered. On Wednesday, deputies searched several properties in Clements and found around 27 dead… pic.twitter.com/BQqZugr4B6
— BreakinNewz (@BreakinNewz01) January 23, 2025
SJSO spokeswoman Rita Long stated, “There was no hope for them unfortunately.”
Oakdale Equine Rescue stepped in to assist, taking custody of 101 surviving animals. On their Facebook page, they detailed the rescue: “a grand total of 101 animals with a breakdown of 89 mares, yearlings, weanling colt, geldings, 4 stallions, 4 donkeys, 3 llamas and one molly mule.”
The rescue organization further commented, “With that said, we would like to share photos, which are rather disturbing to give people that are questioning this seizure an idea of why this is taking place. This has been going on for sometime, this does not happen overnight. The number of deceased horses, including a dog and a cow that are visible on the ground not to mention the bones sticking out of the ground of this huge burial [site] is disturbing. There are no excuses for this no matter how you spin it.”
27 dead horses found in California, leading to woman's arrest 🤬
Jan Johnson of Clementshttps://t.co/DGwCSDnlyz pic.twitter.com/P0229sYL0M
— Agent Applebutt 🕊️ (@8102ops) January 23, 2025
The investigation began in August when authorities received initial reports of neglect. However, Johnson reportedly threatened animal services officers when they attempted to investigate. The breakthrough came after a January 4 incident involving rooster fighting at one of Johnson’s properties, where authorities discovered 30 dead roosters and 65 live ones. This led to the procurement of search warrants for Johnson’s other properties.
According to the Lodi News, Johnson, 63, was released from custody the same day as her arrest. This isn’t her first brush with the law. In 2006, she faced 42 charges of financial elder abuse after allegedly depleting an 83-year-old woman’s savings from over $300,000 to just $289 while acting as her caretaker.
While Oakdale Equine Rescue has received numerous adoption inquiries and donations, they’ve clarified that the surviving animals remain under San Joaquin County Animal Control’s jurisdiction. They’ve also warned supporters about fraudulent donation schemes appearing on GoFundMe and Venmo, directing potential donors to use the QR code on their official Facebook page.