MONTICELLO - The owner of three horses that died of starvation at a Piatt County farm and a fourth horse that was taken into protective custody has been charged.

Richard Pagel of Mansfield was charged with aggravated animal cruelty and failure to properly dispose of dead animals, Piatt County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Todd McCabe said in a prepared statement.

Pagel posted $500 on Saturday and was released, the sheriff's department said.

Pagel was arrested Thursday morning.

Linda Hewerdine, an Illinois Department of Agriculture certified animal investigator, previously said she went to the farm Dec. 26 to investigate a report of a horse running at large, The Associated Press reported. They found two dead horses and one dying horse in a makeshift stall and a third dead horse in a pasture.

Volunteers at a horse rescue farm near Dewey are caring for the surviving animal.