Yolo County Animal Services officers are investigating whether a bag full of decapitated animals found in Clarksburg on Sunday is related to a series of similar incidents that has plagued the Sacramento area in recent months.
“This is the first time we’ve had something out here,” Animal Services Sgt. Mike Nevis said of the discovery of a dozen headless critters including chickens, a rabbit and a turtle.
Investigators are calling it an “extreme” case of animal cruelty.
A bird watcher seeking a variety of hummingbird made the grisly find at about 2 p.m. Sunday in the area of South River Road and Babel Slough, coming across a bag that had feathers spilling out of it, according to an Animal Services news release.
Nevis said investigators “don’t know if there’s a connection yet or not” to the series of animal decapitations — 12 so far — that have been reported throughout the Sacramento area, from north of Interstate 80 to the Pocket neighborhood, since early January.
Chickens, goats, cows, a tortoise and a lamb have been among the targets of the Sacramento crimes.
Anyone with information regarding this incident, or who has had animals of this variety that have been stolen or gone missing, is urged to call Yolo County Animal Services at 530-668-5287, or the Yolo County Sheriff’s tip line at 530-668-5248.
Tips also can be emailed to yolocountysheriffs@yolocounty.org.
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8048. Follow her on Twitter at @LaurenKeene