Ritualistic Animal Sacrifice Leads to 5 Arrests

Santa Maria Valley - January 18th, 2009

Five men are in custody facing animal cruelty charges after the discovery of a ritualistic animal sacrifice in North Santa Barbara County.

The crime was uncovered around 3pm on Tuesday, January 27 when Santa Barbara County Deputies responded to a trespassing call on a farm near Dominion and Foxen Canyon Roads about three miles east of Santa Maria.

Deputies, along with the assistance of farm personnel, located and detained five men for trespassing. The Sheriff’s Rural crime Deputy soon uncovered evidence of a ritualistic animal sacrifice of a chicken that had been committed by the men.

The five men arrested are as follows:

Manuel Juarez                    (28-years old)

Felipe Tellez                       (23-years old)

Felipe Castillo                    (52-years old)

Marcelino Tranquilino     (21-years old)

Herminio Juarez                 (23-years old)

All five men face charges of Animal Cruelty, Trespassing and Possession of False Identification. All five remain in the Santa Barbara County Jail on an immigration hold.

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