US Man Arrested After Shooting Spree Kills 80 Animals in California

Post by: Pratik Kumar

A California man has been arrested following a nighttime shooting spree that resulted in the deaths of over 80 animals, causing widespread panic in the rural community of Prunedale, located approximately 100 miles south of San Francisco. The incident occurred on Tuesday, prompting immediate action from local authorities.

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The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office responded to multiple reports of gunfire, leading to a shelter-in-place order for residents within a five-mile radius of the scene. The suspect, 39-year-old Vicente Joseph Arroyo of Salinas, was apprehended after a prolonged shooting spree that lasted more than three hours in a vineyard.

Law enforcement officials described the scene as extremely dark and heavily vegetated, which complicated efforts to locate Arroyo. However, officers from various agencies eventually succeeded in tracking him down, finding him at dawn with his vehicle crashed along a vineyard road. He was arrested without incident.

A search of the area uncovered a significant arsenal of firearms, including rifles, shotguns, handguns, and an illegal assault weapon. Authorities also discovered a large stockpile of ammunition and several bulletproof vests.

The animals killed included miniature horses, goats, rabbits, chickens, and various birds. Commander Andres Rosas of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the animals, which were kept in pens on land adjacent to Arroyo’s trailer, belonged to a neighboring landowner and a tenant. Many of the animals, although initially surviving, had to be euthanized due to severe injuries.

Following his arrest, Arroyo was booked on multiple charges, including animal cruelty, willful discharge of a firearm, illegal possession of an assault weapon, and vandalism. His bail was initially set at $50,000 but was later increased to $1,000,000.

Commander Rosas, with over 24 years of experience, expressed his shock at the scale of the incident, stating, “I've been doing this for 24 plus years now, and no, I've unfortunately never seen anything like this when it comes to animal life lost.”

The small community of Prunedale remains in shock over the event. Resident Jason Maynard described the chaos of the night, explaining that upon hearing the gunshots, he instructed his wife and child to take cover for their safety.

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