By Snejana Farberov PUBLISHED: 23:46 EST, 23 August 2012 | UPDATED: 00:55 EST, 24 August 2012 A Florida man was arrested this week after being accused of stealing a woman’s horse and slapping paint over its white markings in a ruse meant to cover his tracks and fool the animal's owner. Bullet the horse found itself in the middle of a heated custody battle between Raphine Pierce, of Lake Helen, Florida, and Thomas Pugliese,, 46, who ended up behind bars over allegations of equine theft. Bullet was given to Pierce in July by Pugliese’s mother, who said she could not longer care for the animal, Orlando Sentinel reported.
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Thomas Pugliese, 46, was charged with grant theft of farm animal
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Raphine Pierce said Pugliese's mother gave her Bullet the horse in July
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Horse vanished from Pierce's pasture days later and re-emerged on Pugliese's property, but without his white markings
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Pugliese's teenage daughter rode on Bullet into the woods when police came by to conduct a search
that he is @placeholder’s owner, while Pierce is in possession of the horse’s