A California man is facing multiple animal cruelty charges for allegedly maltreating dozens of horses residing on two of his properties.

In a written statement, Steve Lowney, supervising deputy district attorney for the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office, said the office received several complaints in September about the condition of horses residing on a pair of properties in Morgan Hill and Gilroy, California. The district attorney's office and animal control personnel subsequently investigated the animals' condition, the statement said.

On Nov. 14, personnel from the Santa Clara County Animal Control Department seized 38 allegedly emaciated and neglected horses from the properties, Lowney's statement said.

Subsequently, the district attorney’s office charged the animal's owner, Humberto Rivas Uribe, with felony cruelty to animals, Lowney's statement said. If convicted, Uribe could face a jail sentence