Fla. bodybuilder avoids jail in case of starving horses

MIAMI -- A bodybuilding man who, along with his bodybuilding wife, was charged with animal abuse in October for starving three horses found on their ranch, has taken a plea that gives him no jail time, CBS Miami reports.

Prosecutors had charged Alex Paez and his wife, Magdalia Cowen, with four counts of animal abuse after the animals were discovered on their rural South Miami-Dade property.

Laurie Waggoner, a spokesperson for the South Florida SPCA, said the animals in their care were found in "12 to 18 inches of manure, overgrown hooves... emaciated and scared to death of people."

The couple was photographed with a gray mare on the beach as they wore gladiator outfits to show off their bodies. Only a year later that same gray mare was allegedly found so "skinny [that] it's skin was stretched over her bones," according to the station.

Paez pleaded guilty and entered into a deal that spared him jail time. He has been placed on probation for one year. Cowen does not plan to take a plea and will fight the charges, her attorney said.

Alexander Michaels, Paez's attorney, called the misdemeanor "not a big deal," which led to a backlash that included animal activists starting a petition calling for maximum punishment for the couple.

"People seem to care more about horses rather than children or human beings. I think everyone is important, but this case takes a life of its own," Michaels said.

Speaking publicly for the first time, Paez admitted to the station that the animals were not cared for but said they were not his.

"I have a contract, I don't own those horses. I have contract. They didn't go after that [person] because we own the property," he said.

This wasn't the first time Paez was charged with animal cruelty. In 2011, a horse was taken away and he was charged but took a plea deal, avoiding a conviction on his record.

The new plea deal does not allow him to own animals for the next year, something he said he never intends to do again.

The South Florida SPCA said, "It is disappointed that Paez did not receive jail time and that he will be able to have contact with animals again."

In defense of the punishment, spokesperson Ed Griffith of the State Attorney's Office issued a statement saying "The sentence given to Mr. Paez is very close to the maximum allowed by Florida law for these misdemeanor offenses."

Michaels, Paez's lawyer, argued that the attention given to the case was overblown.

"I never in my wildest dreams thought I'm going to be here talking to you about a misdemeanor. I have 15 murder cases and human trafficking and here you are asking me about horses," he said.