A California gunman massacred more than 80 animals — including mini-horses, chickens and goats — in a horrifying, three-hour shooting spree at a farm where he lived, according to police.
Vicente Joseph Arroyo, 39, of Salinas, allegedly murdered 81 hoofed, furry and feathered creatures — and badly injured at least five more during a deranged rampage Tuesday morning in the Prunedale area, according to Monterey county police.
Arroyo is accused of heartlessly gunning down “miniature horses, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, ducks and other types of birds” for no apparent reason before crashing a vehicle in a shrub-dotted area near at Lemus Farm on Avery Lane, Monterey County Sheriff’s officials told the LA Times.
“[It’s] horrific and heartbreaking,” Beth Brookhouser, a spokeswoman for the police department, told the paper. “All the animals involved were sadly found deceased except for five severely injured parakeets who needed to be humanely euthanized to end their suffering.”
Arroyo, who lives on the farm but is not employed there, allegedly used an illegal assault weapon along with rifles, shotguns and handguns to slaughter the animals.
Cops had no motive for the attack and said it was likely random.
“I’ve been in law enforcement for 24 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Cmdr. Andres Rosas, a Monterey County sheriff’s spokesperson. “Being an animal lover, they become part of your family, and for them to be taken in this manner is horrible.”
Arroyo had allegedly stashed at least 15 firearms, including a “ghost gun,” along with 2,000 rounds of ammunition on the property, police said in a statement.
The animals that survived the massacre were euthanized by the non-profit group Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals due to the severity of their injuries, police said.
Arroyo was charged with cruelty to animals and illegal possession of an assault weapon.
His bail was initially set at $50,000 but investigators have petitioned to raise it to $1 million.
