A "homeless-looking" man in Oregon has confessed to sexually assaulting a horse after its owner found the animal “tied up in an unusual way” inside its stable, police and court documents say.
Kenneth Lijah Duyck, 20, is in Washington County Jail Thursday on suspicion of sexual assault of an animal and second-degree burglary stemming from the incident last week on a rural property in Hillsboro.
Duyck broke into the stable and went after a black mare named Ellie, The Oregonian reported, citing court records and police statements.
The owner of the property later discovered a bucket overturned, and in a call to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, said the animal was "tied up in an unusual way," FOX12 Oregon reported.
She then sent a photo of the horse to her daughter, a veterinarian, who said it looked like the horse was sexually assaulted.
The owner also reportedly said she received a call a day earlier from a man who identified himself as "Duyck" asking if he could camp on her property.
Duyck, described by the stable owner as a "homeless-looking" man who she spotted talking to neighbors around the time of the incident, was found sleeping a car Tuesday in a Walmart parking lot in Cornelius.
Duyck told investigators he broke into the stable to look for work before admitting to sexually assaulting the horse, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said.
An affidavit also quoted him as saying that he believes he carried out the lewd act because he was off his medications.