A 39-year-old man from Northern California, Vicente Arroyo, has been charged with multiple offenses after allegedly killing 81 animals during a three-hour shooting spree. He has pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty and other charges in court following his arrest by local authorities. The incident took place in Prunedale, where the animals, including miniature horses, goats, chickens, and others, were kept in pens and cages.
According to Monterey County officials, the scene was described as deeply traumatic. The animals reportedly belonged to renters of the lot and the property owner. Arroyo allegedly used various firearms to carry out the attack.
Court documents reveal that the animals killed included 14 goats, nine chickens, seven ducks, five rabbits, a guinea pig, and 33 parakeets and cockatiels. Among the larger animals were a pony named Lucky and two miniature horses named Estrella and Princessa. Some animals that survived the initial shooting had to be euthanized due to the severity of their injuries.
Arroyo had been living in a camper situated near the lot where the animals were housed. The motive for the killings is still unclear. Arroyo’s attorney, William Pernik, has raised concerns about his mental health and requested a psychological evaluation, noting that Arroyo’s family had sought help from county agencies but were unable to get the necessary mental health support in time to prevent the incident. The court has ordered a mental health evaluation, and an update is expected in two weeks.
Authorities were alerted to the incident after multiple 911 calls reported gunfire around 3:25 a.m. in Prunedale. Deputies arrived at the scene and enforced a shelter-in-place order. Special units, including the S.W.A.T. team, were deployed. Arroyo was arrested without resistance, and a total of 15 firearms were recovered from his crashed vehicle and camper, including illegal firearms such as an AK-47 assault rifle and ghost guns.
Prosecutors have charged Arroyo with a wide range of offenses, including animal cruelty, illegal firearm possession, willful discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, vandalism, drug possession, and making criminal threats. Monterey County officials have called this the most severe case of animal cruelty they have ever encountered.
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