Man Kills 81 Animals During 3-Hour Shooting Rampage

A Southern Calif. man has been arrested after police said he went on an hours-long crime spree, killing more than 80 animals. 

Vicente Joseph Arroyo of Prunedale allegedly “began randomly shooting multiple weapons and killed 81 animals,” including miniature horses, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, ducks and other birds “during an approximate 3-hour period,” according to a press release from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, Sept. 4.

Police began receiving calls regarding gunfire early Tuesday morning, Sept. 3, the Los Angeles Times reported. 

Per the outlet, Prunedale residents within a five-mile radius were ordered to shelter in place as SWAT teams and other agencies, including the Seaside Fire Department and Gonzales Police Department, responded.

After obtaining a search warrant, detectives recovered a total of 15 weapons including five long rifles, a shotgun, a handgun, an unserialized assault rifle and handgun (commonly referred to as “ghost guns”) and “7 additional firearms and ammunition,” the MCSO said in its release.

“Additional ammunition in varying calibers was also seized bringing the estimated total of rounds of ammunition to near or above 2000 rounds,” police added.

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Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said in a statement, “It is without a doubt that the warrant served by our deputies and detectives, which has resulted in the seizure of these additional weapons, has made our community safer. I am confident that we have prevented another tragedy from happening in the future.”

The Times added that the 39-year-old suspect and the animals lived on the property, citing Cmdr. Andres Rosas, a spokesperson for the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

“I’ve been in law enforcement for 24 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Rosas told the Times in a phone interview. “Being an animal lover, they become part of your family, and for them to be taken in this manner is horrible.”

The SPCA Monterey County Humane Investigations team was also at the scene. SPCA Monterey County spokesperson Beth Brookhouser told the Times that only five parakeets survived, however, they were “severely injured” and “needed to be humanely euthanized to end their suffering.”

Per MCSO’s press release, Arroyo was taken to the Monterey County Jail where he was booked for violation of Willful Discharge of a Firearm with Gross Negligence; Cruelty to Animals; Illegal Possession of Assault Weapon; Vandalism and Criminal Threats.

He was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

Arroyo’s bail was first set at $50,000, but detectives with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office obtained a bail enhancement. He was booked into the Monterey County Jail on $1,000,000 bail where he remains as of Wednesday evening. 

It is not immediately clear if Arroyo has legal counsel.