A suspect linked to a three-hour shooting spree in a Northern California community has pleaded not guilty to charges. Vicente Joseph Arroyo, 39, faces accusations of animal abuse and related offenses after the incident resulted in the death of 81 animals. Arroyo appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on Thursday following his arrest by Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies. According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, authorities were alerted to multiple gunshots fired around 3:29 a.m. on Tuesday. In response, they instructed residents within a five-mile radius to shelter in place.
“Various calibres of weapons could be heard being fired in an area that was extremely dark and covered in thick vegetation," the release said.
“This made it difficult for deputies to immediately locate the person or persons responsible for firing the weapons," it added.
Following Arroyo’s arrest, police confiscated several firearms from the scene, including three long rifles, shotguns, various handguns, and an illegal assault rifle. The sheriff’s office also released images of the scene, which showed a substantial cache of ammunition and at least one bulletproof vest.
Arroyo was accused of shooting 33 parakeets and cockatiels, nine chickens, seven ducks, five bunnies, and 14 goats, according to court documents. As reported by KSBW-TV, Arroyo is also accused of killing two miniature horses, Princessa and Estrella, and a pony named Lucky.
In a conversation with the Associated Press, Monterey County Sheriff Commander Andres Rosas said that many of the animal owners affected by the incident are hesitant to reveal their identities or speak to the press. “I went out there, and it was a pretty traumatic scene. These were people’s pets," he said.
Rosas said that some of the animals were alive for hours after the shooting but ultimately had to be euthanised due to the severity of their injuries. Rosas disclosed that Arroyo lived in a camper located in a vineyard next to the property where the shooting occurred. At this time, authorities have not identified any known motive for the attack.
In an interview with the KSBW TV station, Rosas said that there was no information suggesting that the suspect was searching for someone in particular, but it seemed that the animals were the intended targets.
His attorney, William Pernik, stated that after speaking with Arroyo and his family, he believed that his client may have some mental issues, so he requested that the judge order a mental competency test for his client.
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