Man shoots and kills 80 animals during Prunedale rampage.

Erik Chalhoub Sep 3, 2024


Vicente Joseph Arroyo is taken into custody on Tuesday, Sept. 3 after reportedly shooting and killing 80 animals in Prunedale.
Courtesy of Monterey County Sheriff's Office

Editor's Note

This story has been updated to include information on the search of the suspect’s home, as well as the increase in bail from $50,000 to $1 million.

A Salinas man was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 3 after he killed 80 animals during a three-hour shooting rampage in Prunedale. … According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, callers began reporting numerous shots being fired in Prunedale around 3:25am. When deputies arrived in the area, they could hear the shots being fired but, due to the thick vegetation and night sky, could not locate who was firing the weapons. … Residents in a five-mile radius were ordered to shelter in place while the search was underway.

As the sun began to rise, drones provided by the Seaside Fire Department and Gonzales Police Department discovered a man and what appeared to be a crashed truck in a vineyard on the 16000 block of Avery Lane, off of Paradise Road. … Monterey County SWAT team members approached the man, identified as Vicente Joseph Arroyo, 39, in an armored vehicle and demanded him to stand down. He was taken into custody without incident, according to the MCSO. … Investigators found that Arroyo reportedly killed 80 animals, including miniature horses, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, ducks and other birds. Those that had survived were taken to the SPCA to be euthanized due to their injuries.

According to MCSO, Arroyo was in possession of multiple long rifles, shotguns and handguns, as well as an illegal assault weapon. “Numerous” loaded and empty magazines were found scattered at the scene, the MCSO said in a press release. … During a search of Arroyo’s residence, deputies reportedly found five long rifles, one shotgun and a handgun. An assault rifle and handgun were un-serialized, commonly referred to as “ghost guns.” In total, 15 firearms were seized from the scene of the shooting and his residence, as well as nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition, according to MCSO.

Arroyo was booked into Monterey County Jail for charges that include animal cruelty, discharging a firearm with gross negligence and illegal possession of an assault weapon. He remains in custody with bail set at $1 million, according to jail records.