A Lebanon County man and teenager admitted they were trying to run over a fox when they chased the animal on snowmobiles through a field earlier this month, newly filed court documents show.

Myerstown resident Jeffrey S. Horst, 20, was charged Thursday with six offenses, including animal cruelty, court records show. His preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 6.

It’s unclear whether the 17-year-old who was with Horst has also been charged. Juvenile offenses are sealed in Pennsylvania. The teen is identified in court documents only as “A.S.B.”

Witnesses recorded the pair terrorizing the fox as it sprinted through a snowy field on the afternoon of Jan. 20 near State Route 501 and Locust Street in Heidelberg Township. They chased the fox for more than 30 minutes and appeared to run over the animal multiple times.

The fox’s condition is unknown. Two witnesses, including the person who recorded a video posted to Facebook, told PennLive the fox appeared exhausted but alive after the ordeal.

“I just saw an innocent fox, and I’m like, ‘I don’t think that’s right,’” one witness said of her decision to start recording. The woman’s husband turned the video over to the Pennsylvania Game Commission the same day.

A game warden was dispatched to the scene at about 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 20. Court documents said the warden noticed multiple tracks in the snowy field consistent with snowmobile tires.

The Game Commission then announced the snowmobilers were wanted for “illegally harassing and attempting to unlawfully take the fox.”

Four days later, Horst and the 17-year-old called Game Commission dispatch and turned themselves in, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The pair were interviewed the same day.

Horst told investigators he spotted two foxes soon after arriving in the field around noon on Jan. 20, according to the affidavit. Court documents said he and the 17-year-old admitted to chasing one of the animals but claimed the chase lasted only a few minutes, not more than half an hour as witnesses said.

The Game Commission charged Horst with misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and conspiracy to commit animal cruelty, as well as four summary offenses. He is not in custody as of Thursday.