Reward offered over animal beheadings
The Animal Defense Council is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the conviction of the person or people responsible for beheading animals found on the shores of Laguna Beach.
“The person who committed this brutal act of animal cruelty should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and undergo psychological counseling,” said Carmine Cardamone, director of the Animal Defense Council, a Tucson-based nonprofit organization that seeks to end cruelty to animals.
Laguna Beach lifeguards found another headless bird on a city beach Thursday, the seventh beheaded animal discovered since last week.
The bird, either a dove or pigeon, was found at the north end of Main Beach, said Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Jason Kravetz. Two goats, three chickens and a rooster also have been found since Nov. 8.
“It appears to be related to the other ones,” Kravetz said. “It was a headless animal and we’ve had a spate over seven days.”
Kravetz said police were looking at groups that do animal sacrifices, including followers of Santeria, an Afro-Cuba spiritual tradition whose rituals can involve the sacrifice of animals. In addition, police are considering who might want to get attention through the killings.
A headless chicken and a headless goat wrapped in purple onion bags were found at Picnic Beach on Nov. 8 by a passerby who alerted lifeguards. Later that afternoon, a goat and two chickens, also wrapped in bags, were found at Sleepy Hollow Beach. The goats weighed about 30 pounds each.
On Wednesday morning, a decapitated rooster was found at Picnic Beach. Laguna Beach police were unsure if the animals washed ashore or were placed on the beach. Police have asked anyone with information about the case to call (949) 497-0701.
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