Two Northern California men pleaded guilty Sept. 3 to felony animal cruelty stemming from the torture death of a Thoroughbred mare in Northern California.

Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Robert Boyd set Oct. 9 for sentencing of Liobijildo Guzman Herrera, 22, and Noel Guido-Silva, 21, both Sonoma County residents, after each man pleaded no contest to one felony count of malicious and intentional killing of an animal. (No contest means the individual is not admitting or denying the charges, but won’t contest the charges.)

Prosecutor James Patrick Casey said the defendants, who have been in custody since late June, face up to three years in state prison in connection with the April 26 vehicular attack on 24-year-old Gentle Song. He said the prosecutor’s office accepted the pleas with no guarantee of leniency.

Casey said the two men are Mexican nationals who are in the United States illegally and face deportation once they have served their time