According to the Associated Press, police say an upstate New York-based harness horse trainer struck a horse named Finish Line, fracturing the horse's skull and requiring it to be euthanized.

Orange County District Attorney David Hubler said 26-year-old Frederick Bourgaud was indicted Tuesday on two separate charges in connection with the death of a racehorse at the Pinebush Training Facility in Crawford last July. He reportedly appeared in court. AP. This property is located 90 miles from New York City.

According to Hoobler's social media posts, Bourgaud allegedly picked up a hard object and hit the horse, fracturing the horse's skull and causing it to be euthanized.

Veterinary experts then exhumed the horse and examined it at the request of investigators, according to the Associated Press.

After PETA filed a complaint, Frédéric Bourgaud, an allegedly cruel horse trainer who severely beat a horse so it had to be euthanized, was arrested and charged with two felonies in connection with the horse's death.https://t.co/hCw7cLevn1

— Peta (@peta) January 31, 2024

Back in November, Bourgault was charged with two felonies in an indictment, one of which was second-degree criminal mischief. Bourgod, who is from Canada, was ordered Tuesday by a judge to surrender his passport as the case progresses, according to the Associated Press.

It was not immediately clear whether Bourgaud had a lawyer, according to the Associated Press.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said Bourgaud had previously been suspended and fined for kicking horses and using the whip excessively. (Related: What on earth?: Winning horse tests positive for stimulants (PETA also involved)

“Mr. Bourgaud is a repeat offender who was banned from racing years ago and should have been suspended the first time he whipped a horse after a race,” PETA senior vice president Cathy Guillermo said in a release. ” he said.