Special2bme
May 15th, 2009, 05:22 PM
Two women were arrested on animal cruelty allegations Thursday in the ritualistic killing of chickens near Mill Valley, the sheriff's department reported.
The mutilated remains were discovered Thursday afternoon near the county's Throckmorton Ridge Fire Station on Panoramic Highway, said sheriff's Sgt. Debra Barry. The chickens were found by rangers for the Marin Municipal Water District, who called sheriff's deputies to investigate.
"When the deputies got there, they found four chickens with their necks cuts in the Fern Creek drainage," Barry said. "They located a vehicle in the area. Inside the vehicle they found evidence of the crime." Barry said the evidence included a knife, but she declined to elaborate.
Deputies questioned two women in the area and arrested them on suspicion of felony animal cruelty. The women were identified as Chantel Herndon, 29, of Berkeley, and Beverly Elizabeth Wheeler, 32, of San Francisco.
Barry said she did not know whether the chickens were killed as part of a particular religious observance.
The women have not been charged, and an initial court appearance is expected Friday unless the suspects post bail during the night.
Penalties for animal cruelty can include a year in jail, prison time or fines of up to $20,000.
Rory Little, a San Rafael resident and law professor at the University of California, Hastings, said religious belief is usually not a defense for a "generally applicable crime," but that the issue gets more complicated based on the specifics of the case.http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12378061
The mutilated remains were discovered Thursday afternoon near the county's Throckmorton Ridge Fire Station on Panoramic Highway, said sheriff's Sgt. Debra Barry. The chickens were found by rangers for the Marin Municipal Water District, who called sheriff's deputies to investigate.
"When the deputies got there, they found four chickens with their necks cuts in the Fern Creek drainage," Barry said. "They located a vehicle in the area. Inside the vehicle they found evidence of the crime." Barry said the evidence included a knife, but she declined to elaborate.
Deputies questioned two women in the area and arrested them on suspicion of felony animal cruelty. The women were identified as Chantel Herndon, 29, of Berkeley, and Beverly Elizabeth Wheeler, 32, of San Francisco.
Barry said she did not know whether the chickens were killed as part of a particular religious observance.
The women have not been charged, and an initial court appearance is expected Friday unless the suspects post bail during the night.
Penalties for animal cruelty can include a year in jail, prison time or fines of up to $20,000.
Rory Little, a San Rafael resident and law professor at the University of California, Hastings, said religious belief is usually not a defense for a "generally applicable crime," but that the issue gets more complicated based on the specifics of the case.http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12378061