Man Arrested After Killing 80+ Animals In Shooting Spree: Police

A man in California was arrested this week for allegedly going on a shooting spree late at night, killing more than 80 animals at a property located next to where he lived.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office arrested 39-year-old Vicente Joseph Arroyo after he shot animals for nearly three hours during the early morning hours on Tuesday in a vineyard in Prunedale, which is located roughly 100 miles south of San Francisco.

A shelter in place order was put into effect while officers searched a five-mile radius as the shooting happened. While they could hear the gun shots, they struggled to find the suspect because it was “extremely dark” and the area was “covered in thick vegetation.”

A SWAT team made contact with the suspect after a police drone revealed an individual in the area who had crashed a vehicle. Arroyo was arrested and taken into custody without further incident, police said.

“Once the scene was secured, it was discovered that Arroyo had killed approximately 80 animals including miniature horses, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, ducks and other types of birds,” police said. “Some animals had survived but were taken by SPCA to be euthanized due to the severity of their injuries.”

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Multiple firearms were located at the scene and more were recovered from his trailer where he lived after police executed a search warrant.

“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,” said Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto. “I am confident that we have prevented another tragedy from happening in the future.”

Arroyo was charged with Willful Discharge of a Firearm with Gross Negligence, Cruelty to Animals, Illegal Possession of Assault Weapon, Vandalism, Criminal Threats, and Felon In Possession of a Firearm.

Bail was initially set at $50,000, but the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office was able to obtain a bail enhancement, boosting his bail to $1,000,000.