Woman refuses reward money after finding missing horse

A horse -- stolen from a Queen Creek boarding facility has been found safe and was reunited with his 17-year-old owner.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was about to launch a helicopter and all terrain vehicles to search for the missing horse when it was found.

The teenage girl and her family are so grateful and we're told the woman who found him doesn't want any reward money.

"I don't even know the words for it. I'm just so happy to have my boy back," said Sarah Evans.

Photos showed Evans moments after she was reunited with her beloved quarter horse Laredo Wednesday morning.

"I just hugged him, kissed him, got on him and loved on him.. he's just so tired, it was so much for him," she said.

Evans says her horse, along with his halter, were stolen in the middle of the night Monday from a boarding facility near Cloud and Rittenhouse.

Worried he would be sold, Evans plastered Laredo's photo online, offered a cash reward and called FOX 10. Hours after our story aired, Laredo was found.

"He was just wandering the side of the road, but there's no way he got there by himself," said Evans.

The horse's halter was gone. A deputy told Evans the horse thief may have been spooked by the publicity.

"They think it got pretty hot, couldn't handle it anymore.. just turned the horse loose," said Brian Reed.

The horse was some seven miles away.

A woman with horses of her own saw Laredo walking near a canal Wednesday morning and caught him.

"She actually put up posters in that neighborhood, found a horse, called me.. that's when she found out neighbors said, hey you need to turn the news on and watch.. that's when she called the deputies," said Reed.

The woman told deputies she didn't want any reward money. Evans and her family are grateful for everyone's help.

"People are good. My faith in humanity has been restored this morning," said Kim Overman.

"But I'm just happy right now to have him back and I got him back so soon and he's not hurt," said Evans.

The reward money was up to $1,700.

Deputies say the investigation continues. They have leads, but say they're looking at all angles.

The horse's blue and black nylon halter is still missing.

Follow this story: Horse stolen from Queen Creek boarding facility