Attorneys/Judges
| Prosecutor(s): | Blaine Hopp | | Judge(s): | Donald Rudolph |
Images for this Case
Horse beaten with sledgehammer, decapitated
Anza, CA (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Apr 19, 2009
County: Riverside
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 3 files available
Alleged: Jack Mark Ziniuk
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
A Riverside County man was arrested on charges of felony animal cruelty after police say he bludgeoned his horse with a sledgehammer, decapitated it with a chainsaw and fed it to his dogs.
Jack Ziniuk, 64, of rural Anza called authorities Sunday morning to say his horse had been injured by dogs, was having seizures and needed to be put down, Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. Bill Roach said.
But when officers arrived they found a headless horse. A bloody sledgehammer was submerged in a bucket of water and a chainsaw sat nearby. The animal’s head was lying in a dog run where Roach said it was serving as food for Ziniuk’s dogs.
“He told us he was having an argument with his neighbors and some dogs had attacked his horse but when deputies got out there they found the horse already dead,” Roach said. “He essentially admitted that he did it and that no dogs had attacked the horse.”
Roach said he didn’t know why Ziniuk would call police saying his animal was ill and then behead it before they arrived.
The Riverside County Department of Animal Services has been to Ziniuk’s property numerous times because of his animals' living conditions, said John Welsh, department spokesman.
“We have been keeping an eye on this guy for a long time,” he said. “We have cited him for having too many dogs and not having dog licenses. We have cited him for everything we could cite him for, but he has done just enough to avoid seizure of his animals.”
Court records show that Ziniuk has faced multiple kennel violation charges along with failure to get his animals properly vaccinated.
Welsh said Ziniuk had at least 33 dogs, eight puppies, 10 goats, peacocks and geese. Two other men on the property will care for those animals while Ziniuk is gone.
The horse’s remains have been sent to a state lab, where a necropsy is being done to determine the cause of death and whether it was alive when decapitated.
“It appears this horse did not receive the vet care it needed prior to its death,” Welsh said. “This is common sense. If you have an animal that is suffering, get it the help it needs.”
Ziniuk is being held at the Robert Pressley Detention Center.
Case UpdatesA Riverside County man who was facing charges after a horse was found beaten to death and decapitated has been found dead on his ranch.
Jack Ziniuk, 64, was awaiting trial on felony charges of animal cruelty.
Ziniuk had told investigators the horse had been attacked by dogs and had to be put down. Prosecutors said he decapitated it with a chainsaw and then fed the head to his dogs.
The coroner did not list the cause of Ziniuk’s death. | Source: Inland News Today - Aug 30, 2009
Update posted on Aug 30, 2009 - 7:27PM |
An Anza man was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on felony animal cruelty charges that beat his horse with a sledgehammer, then had its head cut off with a chain saw to feed his dogs.
Judge Donald Rudolph said there was "ample evidence" to conclude Jack Ziniuk, 64, is guilty of animal cruelty for killing his horse, named Grizzle, and did not properly feed the horse or other animals on his property.
During a preliminary hearing Wednesday in a French Valley courtroom, Ziniuk sat next to his attorney, breathing with the assistance of an oxygen tank.
Riverside County sheriff's Deputy Jason Reed testified that he arrived on Ziniuk's Anza property April 19 responding to a report of a dead horse.
"Why was the horse missing its head?" Deputy District Attorney Blaine Hopp asked.
"Jack said he cut the head off to feed the dogs because he didn't have enough food, and most dog food from processing plants come from horses anyway," Reed said.
Police and animal control officers arrived to find more than 40 dogs as well as cats, chickens, goats and peacocks on the remote 16-acre property in Anza, a community about 25 miles southeast of Hemet. Ziniuk had agreed to allow animal control to euthanize a different horse during a previous visit.
Grizzle was described as emaciated, bleeding and missing fur. Ziniuk reported hitting the horse in the head eight times, Reed testified.
A man who lived on the property said he was told to decapitate the horse or he couldn't live there anymore, Reed said. A vet pathologist determined the horse was still alive when he was decapitated.
Reed testified that a neighbor reported the horse was sick from binging on hay because days before, there had not been enough food. Ziniuk had fed the horse cooking oil and Pepto-Bismol.
After the hearing, Ziniuk described himself as an animal lover and said he was trying to dispose of the horse after it already died of illness. He said he had enough food and was taking care of the horse for a little girl. Out of jail on bond, he said he now lives on the property without electricity or hot water.
"I was crying. I loved that horse," Ziniuk said. "Everyone who knows me knows I'm not a cruel person."
Ziniuk said he used to run a kennel and grooming center called Jack's Kindness Shop, where he cared for thousands of animals and rescued strays.
"All I know is, I'm not guilty of the stuff they're accusing me of. It's not right. The only thing I want to do is help people's animals," Ziniuk said.
Ziniuk is ordered to return to court Aug. 25 for his next pretrial hearing. If convicted, he could face up to three years and eight months in prison. | Source: Press-Enterprise - Aug 12, 2009
Update posted on Aug 30, 2009 - 7:26PM |
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