A man has been charged for illegally dumping the body of a pony in a ditch near Caeser Creek Lake.

Darrell L. Craycraft, 51, of Wilmington faces misdemeanor charges of littering, according to the Clinton County Sheriff.

The discovery of the torso was reported Feb. 23.

Reports indicate Craycraft told authorities the pony had broken its leg and died because of the injury. He dismembered the frozen pony to transport it in his vehicle.

He needed to dispose of it because it was attracting coyotes, according to reports.

Officials did not say what Craycraft did with the pony’s head and legs.

Craycraft was identified as the person who dumped the carcass after an investigation in which neighbors gave information to authorities.

He will appear March 19 in Clinton County Court, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The torso of the dismembered pony was found wrapped in a tarp near Hormel and Buck Run roads, on the northeast edge of the park.

The resident who found and reported it, a horse owner who preferred to remain anonymous, said she had driven by it for several days and didn’t know what it was until she asked her grandchildren to check it out.

Staff Writer Richard Wilson contributed to this report.