Kirkwood man charged in deaths of four horses

ST. LOUIS -- A suburban St. Louis man has been charged with four felony animal-abuse counts in the alleged starvation deaths of four horses he owned.

Michael Chiarottino, 42, of Kirkwood, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the charges filed Friday.

Authorities say that eight horses were kept on a fenced Jefferson County lot, where neighbors said they found four of the animals dead. The surviving horses were severely malnourished and are recovering at a local stable, investigators said.