A Helena-area man was arrested early Saturday for allegedly shooting his ex-girlfriend's horse.

According to court documents, Jeremy Calvin Hernandez, 20, called his ex-girlfriend several times Friday after she tried to make arrangements with him to return a key chain to one of his relatives.

Hernandez wanted to meet with the woman and her new boyfriend, according to the documents, which the woman declined to arrange. She went with the new friend to his house.

When the woman answered one of the calls, Hernandez said he was looking for the new boyfriend's house and would go to her house and damage her property if she refused to meet with him, according to the reports.

Hernandez then sent the woman a text message saying her horse was hurt and she needed to come take care of it.

Hernandez's brother then called the woman, according to the reports, and said Hernandez had shot her horse. The brother also called the woman's mother, and she met sheriff's deputies.

When the deputies arrived at the location in the 4900 block of Highway 12 West where the horse was being kept, they found a large amount of snow on a roadway.

They located Hernandez nearby at his brother's house.

According to the reports, Hernandez told the deputies he had tried one last time to call his ex-girlfriend and shot the horse in the head with a .22 caliber rifle and a 9mm handgun when she didn't answer.

He said he also shot the horse behind the front shoulder with the handgun.

Hernandez then dragged the animal's body behind his truck about 100 yards further down the road, according to the reports.

He told the deputies he had "just flipped out," according to the reports, and later wrote in his statement that he shot the horse because it was the only way he could think of to make his ex-girlfriend feel the same pain he had over the way their relationship had ended.

Hernandez has been charged in Justice Court with aggravated animal cruelty.

City Editor Rich Myers: 447-4071 or rich.myers@helenair.com