KENTWOOD - A man is facing animal cruelty charges after sheriff's deputies found three malnourished horses, one of which died as officers tried to rescue it.

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office says it investigated the property in Kentwood after it received an anonymous tip about the abuse. 

There, deputies found three horses which all appeared to be malnourished. The pasture used to house the animals was said to be filled with metal debris and had no signs of fresh food or water.

One of the horses was found lying on the ground struggling to breathe, with a second found a short distance away on the property. A third apparently escaped through a broken portion of the fence and was found roaming in a nearby field. 

With help from the Tangi Humane Society, deputies tried to get the first horse back on its feet but were ultimately unsuccessful. The animal was said to be too weak to eat or drink on its own and was handfed by detectives. After two hours of rendering care, the horse stopped breathing and passed away.

The two remaining horses were corralled and taken off the property by the humane society. The owner, 33-year-old Christopher O'Neil Gordon, was nowhere on the property but was later located by the sheriff's office.

He was taken into custody and booked for aggravated cruelty to animals.