Three people were arrested for animal cruelty and other
substance abuse charges after a Morgan Hill police officer found a
malnourished, but alive, goat hog-tied in the trunk of a Nissan
Sentra about 9 a.m. Friday.
Three people were arrested for animal cruelty and other substance abuse charges after a Morgan Hill police officer found a malnourished, but alive, goat hog-tied in the trunk of a Nissan Sentra about 9 a.m. Friday.
The driver, Ciro Paredes, 40, of Morgan Hill, was pulled over by a Morgan Hill police officer at Monterey Road and Dunne Avenue on Christmas Eve morning after he cut off the patrol officer. Paredes was driving without a driver’s license, and the officer found small plastic bags of crystal methamphetamine and open bottles of beer in the Nissan Sentra.
While searching the vehicle, the patrol officer heard a noise from the trunk and found a goat that “looked like it didn’t have food or water for at least a day,” according to MHPD Sgt. Jerry Neumayer. Animal control was called and the goat was taken to an animal shelter.
Paredes was charged with driving under the influence, driving without a license, possession of meth, driving with an open container and animal cruelty. The passengers, Julio Perez, 27 of San Jose, and Ricardo Malger, 19 of Morgan Hill, were charged with animal cruelty.
Perez was also charged with possession of meth. The men were booked into Santa Clara County Jail Friday.
Neumayer said they believed the men were planning to eat the goat.
Operation Second Chance ends Friday
Santa Clara County residents with warrants out for their arrest can still turn themselves in without spending the holidays in jail.
Operation Second Chance allows offenders to clear their warrants and still go home to spend the holidays with their families. Until Dec. 31, suspects with active warrants for their arrest can report to any law enforcement agency in the county and clear their warrant. Instead of going to jail, the offenders will receive a new citation for a “promise to appear” at their new court date.
“If you take advantage of Operation Second Chance 2010, you could not only clear an active warrant for your arrest but guarantee a holiday at home,” said Sgt. Rick Sung of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
So far, more than 194 people – some with multiple warrants – have taken advantage of Operation Second Chance since it started about three weeks ago, Sung said. That’s better than the tally for last year, when 130 people turned themselves in without jail time for Operation Second Chance.
The warrant clearing program is directed toward misdemeanor warrants that do not involve violent crimes, Sung said.
Those that qualify, will be released no matter what the bail is, including those warrants stamped “No Cite and Release,” “No Walk-Over,” and “No Bail.”
Warrants that do not qualify for the program are felony warrants and any warrant involving suspicion of violence.
