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'I Think That Is Just Horrible': Owner Of Escaped Zebras On The Loose In Prince George's County Charged With Three Counts Of Animal Cruelty

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (WJZ) -- Police swarm the home of a Maryland zebra owner after he was charged with three counts of animal cruelty.

One by one, dozens of police cars and animal control crews swarmed Jerry Holly's property in Prince Georges County with heavy machinery in tow.

"It looks like somebody is in big trouble, " said neighbor, Raynette.

With binoculars in hand, Raynette was hoping to catch a glimpse of the exotic animals.

"I was hoping to be able to use them to see in case they were off in a distance, " said Raynette

WJZ cameras were rolling Wednesday night as police shut down Holly's driveway and used flashlights to search his property.

This all comes just hours after police charged the 76-year-old zebra owner with three counts of animal cruelty.

"I just think that's horrible," said Raynette.

Holly is an exotic animal trader and has about 40 zebras on his property. Three of them escaped back in September and one was found tangled in an illegal snare trap that was set just feet from the fence line. Investigators say they believe the animal died of dehydration after struggling a few days in the trap.

Two others are still roaming around town and being cared for by neighbors.

"We can literally see where the zebras are at and when they're at, so they're still out there and we get video of them every day, and we keep track of where they're at and whether they're healthy and safe," said neighbor, Theodore Mackenzie.

Court documents say on Tuesday, police found another zebra dead on the farm giving them enough evidence to file criminal charges.

"Hopefully they will take the animals and take them to a safe place where they can be better cared for, " Raynette added.

Police on scene say officials will use the equipment to remove the body of the dead zebra, while animal control will search Holly's home and the entire area to make sure the other animals are being properly cared for.

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