Actor Charged With Cruelty to 3 Horses

Misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals have been filed against actor James V. McNichol Jr. and another man, alleging that they provided no food or care to three horses that they apparently were boarding on a Tarzana horse property, a spokesman for the Los Angeles city attorney’s office said. One of the horses died.

The city attorney’s office on Thursday filed two counts of cruelty to animals and one count of failure to obtain an equine license against McNichol, 24, of West Hollywood, brother of actress Kristy McNichol, and Robert Jon Nathan, 35, of Hollywood, spokesman Ted Goldstein said.

Goldstein said the Department of Animal Regulation impounded the horses on Sept. 25 after receiving complaints from neighbors of the private horse property at 19543 Oxnard St. that the animals appeared to be starving.

The horses were each 200 or more pounds underweight when they arrived at the West Valley Animal Shelter, Goldstein said.

Two have recovered but the third died Oct. 20, he said.

McNichol and Nathan are scheduled to appear for arraignment Dec. 10 in Van Nuys Municipal Court. If found guilty, they could be fined up to $1,000 each and sent to jail for six months for each cruelty charge, Goldstein said.