“‘WE NEVER THOUGHT WE’D BE SAYING HER NAME FOR A REASON LIKE THIS.’” That’s the painful confession now echoing through the Las Vegas horse community as one owner reflects on the case that has left many stunned. According to those who knew her, the teen accused in the shocking horse attack was a familiar face—someone who seemed to blend in, not stand out. That is precisely what has made the allegations so difficult to comprehend. For many, the story is no longer just about what happened, but about the unsettling realization that the biggest shock may be who was allegedly involved. DETAILS BELOW 👇

A judge says a teen accused of stabbing three horses at a barrel racing competition over the weekend will remain in custody.

The juvenile court judge says the local 17-year-old, who was a competitor at the event herself, is a danger to the community.

This comes on the heels of a request by the Clark County District Attorney to have the teen tried as an adult.

In juvenile court on Thursday, the prosecution argued the attacks were planned.

“Everything we have suggests, and I would note that the investigation is ongoing, but everything we have at this point suggests that it was a premeditated attack and that she targeted specific courses potentially even,” said Michael Watson, the prosecuting attorney.

The defense team for the teen argues it’s a matter of mental health and requested that the teen be released until the court decides whether she will be tried as an adult.

“She has a very stable family, no risk of flight,” said James Robison, the attorney representing the teen. “She has a mental health history that is significant. But with the diagnoses, we believe can be accommodated and treated within the community.”

The judge agreed with the prosecution and refused to release the teen.

Since the teen’s arrest, community members have shared their interactions with her, including Kayla Ball, a horse owner who says the suspect rode at her barn for several months last year.

“She told me her life story, and that how much she loved horses, but couldn’t afford to get one,” said horse owner Kayla Ball in an interview with KPVM. “So she was willing to put in the work at the barn, that if she worked here and worked hard, if she could ride some of my horses and get some experience with training them and rodeoing on them.”

Ball says that a few months in, she started seeing some things that were off.

“We started getting some red flags with her, with some of the things that we told her not to do with the horses, where you tie them, so it’s just putting them in dangerous, different situations. A lot of lying, we didn’t know what to believe at this point,” she said.

Ball says parents in the equestrian world would reach out to her regarding issues with the teen.

“And the way that I looked at it was, you need to contact her parents,” said Ball. “So, it just became this big ordeal that she was causing a lot of trouble at all the local barrel races. A lot of barrel racers reached out to her mom, and we didn’t get any responses, and no action was taken on her behavior.”

She believes her horse would have been a target at the weekend competition that happened at the South Point Casino Hotel and Spa.

News 3 asked former Clark County District Attorney David Roger how the defense’s mental health claim will impact the decision on whether she will be tried as an adult.

“The first thing that the court looks at is the seriousness of the crime,” said Roger. “And the individual’s criminal history. If the court concludes that the crime isn’t a serious crime or the individual doesn’t have a criminal record, then they look at a broad range of factors.”

The horses are expected to survive, but their injuries kept them from completing the competition.

The teen is facing 12 felony counts of willful animal cruelty and three more felony counts of property damage over $5,000.