Three Hour Shooting Spree Leaves 81 Animals Dead In California [WATCH]

Early Tuesday morning, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunfire in Prunedale, California, a rural area located about 10 miles northwest of Salinas.

Calls came in around 3:25 a.m. from concerned residents near a local vineyard, reporting numerous shots fired in the dark.

Authorities immediately ordered residents within a five-mile radius to shelter in place and called in their SWAT team, while also requesting drone assistance from the Seaside Fire Department and Gonzales Police Department.

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What law enforcement discovered was a shocking scene of animal carnage. Over the course of three hours, 39-year-old Vicente Joseph Arroyo allegedly shot and killed 81 animals, including miniature horses, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, ducks, and other birds.

Arroyo, who lived on the property where the animals were housed, was arrested without incident by the Sheriff’s Office.

Cmdr. Andres Rosas, a spokesperson for the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed that Arroyo did not work at the site and provided no further details on his connection to the property.

The animals were kept in various cages and enclosures throughout the area.

Arroyo was booked on suspicion of six felony charges: willful discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, cruelty to animals, illegal possession of an assault weapon, vandalism totaling $400 or more, making criminal threats, and terrorizing while in possession of a firearm as a felon.

His bail, initially set at $50,000, was later raised to $1 million after a successful petition by department investigators.

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

A search warrant executed on the property revealed seven firearms, including long rifles, shotguns, and handguns. Authorities also discovered an illegal assault weapon and two ghost guns, as well as approximately 2,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibers.

Upon arriving at the scene, deputies reported hearing multiple gunshots from various weapons.

Due to the thick vegetation and darkness in the rural area, the Sheriff’s Office called for SWAT assistance and drones to aid in their efforts.

According to Rosas, the area was so dark that deputies did not realize they were just 50 feet away from horses until daylight.

A drone deployed by law enforcement spotted a crashed vehicle in the vineyard. Authorities used an armored unit to approach Arroyo, who eventually surrendered to the SWAT team.

The SPCA Monterey County’s Humane Investigations team was also called to the scene. Beth Brookhouser, a spokesperson for the SPCA, described the situation as “horrific and heartbreaking.” She confirmed that all the animals were found dead, except for five severely injured parakeets, which were humanely euthanized to end their suffering.

“It was a tough, sad day,” Brookhouser said. “But we’re hoping our work collecting evidence will help the sheriff’s department with this case and prevent this from happening again.”

Press release from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office:

Press Release Update: MCSO SWAT Team Arrests Active Shooter Who Killed Over 80 Animals

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a suspect after he began to randomly fire multiple weapons and killed approximately 80 animals during an approximate 3-hour period.

On Tuesday September 3rd at about 3:25 AM, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office began receiving multiple calls of numerous shots being fired. Deputies responded to the scene and upon arrival could hear shots continuing to be fired in the area. A shelter in place order was put into effect for a 5-mile radius while deputies searched for the shooter.

Various calibers of weapons could be heard being fired in an area that was extremely dark and covered in thick vegetation. This made it difficult for deputies to immediately locate the person or persons responsible for firing the weapons. Assistance was requested from the Monterey County S.W.A.T. team. Drone resources were provided by Seaside Fire Department and Gonzales Police Department. With use of the Drone, and as the sun began to rise, a suspect and what appeared to be a crashed vehicle were observed along the 16000 block of Avery Lane in a vineyard.

Monterey County S.W.A.T. team members approached the suspect in an armored vehicle and began giving commands. They were able to take the suspect into custody without further incident. He was identified as 39-year-old Vicente Joseph Arroyo of Salinas.

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. Some animals had survived but were taken by SPCA to be euthanized due to the severity of their injuries.

Multiple long rifles, shotguns and handguns, including an unlawful assault weapon, were located at the scene along with numerous loaded and empty magazines.

Vicente Joseph Arroyo was transported and booked into the Monterey County Jail for violation of 246.3(a) PC, Willful Discharge of a Firearm with Gross Negligence; 597(a) PC, Cruelty to Animals; 30605(a) PC, Illegal Possession of Assault Weapon; 594(b)(1) PC, Vandalism and 422(a) PC, Criminal Threats; 29800(a)(1), Felon In Possession of a Firearm. Bail has been set at $50,000.

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