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Case ID: 14734

Classification: Poisoning

Animal: marine animal (pet)

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500 fish killed with bleach in pet store
La Quinta, CA (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Oct 11, 2008
County: Riverside

Disposition: Open

Persons of Interest:
» Sora Matsunaga
» 17 year old

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

La Quinta police are trying to determine who was responsible for putting an unknown substance inside a pet store's fish tank, killing as many as 500 animals last weekend.

Police were called to the PetSmart on Highway 111 about 1 p.m. regarding the incident.

Investigators determined someone poured the substance into a tank, which was connected to 135 others via a water circulation system, Lt. Raymond Gregory said.

The chemical killed as much as $15,000 in fish, he said.

No suspects have been taken into custody.

Case Updates

Two employees of a La Quinta pet store are accused of killing hundreds of fish by pouring bleach into their tanks, authorities said Monday.

Sora Matsunaga, 18, and a 17-year-old suspect, whose name was withheld due to age, allegedly dumped bleach into the main water circulation system in the PetsMart store at 79375 Highway 111 on Oct. 12, killing about 500 fish in 36 tanks, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Investigators say the 17-year-old suspect confessed to conspiring to kill the fish, Lt. Raymond Gregory said.

The two were reportedly angry over the firings of co-workers.

"Some employees had been recently dismissed from the location and some of the remaining employees were unhappy," Lt. Raymond Gregory said.

"My understanding is ... something about the dismissals of those other employees caused (the suspects) to be angry," the lieutenant said. "They committed these acts to distress the manager."

The suspects were arrested on suspicion of vandalism, conspiracy and animal cruelty, authorities said.

The suspects were released from custody shortly after their arrests.

According to Gregory, as of last week, the suspects were still employed at PetsMart, but store supervisors were expected to take "appropriate disciplinary action."

The property loss was placed at $15,000.

Source: CBS - Oct 21, 2008
Update posted on Oct 21, 2008 - 1:57AM

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500 fish killed with bleach in pet storeLa Quinta, CA (US)

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500 fish killed with bleach in pet store
La Quinta, CA (US)