Nighttime shootings in California leave scores of farm animals dead

Near Prunedale, California, a barrage of gunfire led to the deaths of nearly 100 farm animals, and one suspect has been arrested in connection with the attack.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office reported that at around 3:25 a.m. earlier this week, it began receiving multiple calls about gunfire erupting off Avery Lane, a small road linked to Paradise Road. Deputies arriving at the scene said they were met with the unmistakable sounds of shots being fired.

A shelter-in-place order was issued as deputies worked to locate the shooter. After three hours of gunfire, a suspect was apprehended, and the shooting ceased.

According to a sheriff’s office spokesperson, authorities arrested 39-year-old Vicente Joseph Arroyo from Salinas. They accused him of using several firearms, firing hundreds of rounds into the dark, thickly vegetated area. This made it difficult for law enforcement to pinpoint his location right away. Using a drone, deputies located Arroyo near a crashed vehicle in a vineyard on Avery Lane.

Among the carnage, around 80 animals — chickens, rabbits, birds, goats, guinea pigs, ducks, and even miniature horses — were found dead. The few animals that survived the ordeal were later taken to SPCA Monterey County but had to be euthanized due to severe injuries.

Authorities said they recovered an array of firearms at the scene, including long rifles, shotguns, handguns, and an illegal assault weapon, along with numerous loaded and empty magazines.

Arroyo lived on the property where the animals resided, Cmdr. Andres Rosas, Monterey County sheriff’s spokesperson, told the Los Angeles Times. The animals were kept in a variety of cages and enclosures.

On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office posted an updated news release stating that it would continue the investigation and searched Arroyo’s residence and buildings using a search warrant.

“During the service of a search warrant on Arroyo’s residence and associated buildings, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Detectives located 5 long rifles, one shotgun, and a handgun,” the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office wrote on social media. “Among the firearms seized were an un-serialized assault rifle and a handgun, commonly referred to as ‘ghost guns.’ This brings the total number of firearms seized during this investigation to 15. Additional ammunition in varying calibers was also seized, bringing the estimated total of rounds of ammunition to near or above 2000 rounds.”

According to Johns Hopkins University, “‘Ghost guns’ are kits and privately made firearms that are untraceable by design, lacking serial numbers and other identifying markings. Typically available in a ‘buy, build, shoot’ kit online.” They are often made of the same materials as a traditional firearm and are distinct from so-called “undetectable guns,” which are made entirely of plastic.

Deputies report that no humans were injured. Arroyo faces a range of charges, including willful discharge of a firearm, animal cruelty, illegal possession of an assault weapon, vandalism, criminal threats, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Arroyo’s bail was initially set at $50,000, but department investigators successfully petitioned a county judge to raise the limit to $1 million, Rosas said.

The investigation remains ongoing, though officials have said there is no further threat to public safety.