2 Arrested After Man Allegedly Is Beaten, Tossed in Cage With Wolf

Anthony Michael Scimore told state Department of Fish and Game employees last week that his landlord was keeping wolves illegally in a remote desert home in Twentynine Palms.

Hours later, authorities allege, the landlord and an accomplice, apparently seeking revenge, kidnaped Scimore, severely beat him and threw him into a large cage with a black wolf.

The two men ordered the wolf to attack the half-naked man and then drove off, authorities said. Scimore, 35, tried to fight off the wolf, which bit him twice before he escaped.

Scimore, who had been working as the wolves’ caretaker, was treated in the emergency room at High Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree and released.

Assault Charge

On Thursday, authorities arrested the landlord, Bruce Allyn Hutchinson, 37, of Newport Beach and John Franklin Sparkman, 39, of Costa Mesa on suspicion of kidnaping and assault with a deadly weapon. In this case, the weapon was the wolf, authorities said.

Scimore’s troubles began Tuesday when he visited Hutchinson’s wife, Tanya Marie Hutchinson, 25, in her house trailer in Twentynine Palms, said Jim Bryant, a spokesman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. After Scimore told the woman that he had notified Fish and Game officials, she called her husband and he arrived at the trailer with Sparkman.

The two men beat Scimore and then drove him to the house where the wolves were located, authorities said. There they allegedly attacked him again before tossing him into the cage.

Also arrested were Tanya Marie Hutchinson and Raymond Smith, 25, who were allegedly present during the kidnaping.

Scimore told authorities that he had called state officials because he was leaving town and was worried about what would happen to the animals.