Severed heads of turtles, chickens, goats found
West Palm Beach, FL (US)

Incident Date: Monday, Dec 26, 2005
County: Palm Beach

Disposition: Open

Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

Plastic bags with severed heads and body parts of a turtle, chickens and goats that children discovered a week ago in a suburban West Palm Beach neighborhood were removed December 26, 2005 by Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control. An animal control officer took the remains from the vacant, wooded lot on Florida Mango Road to a shelter for further study after the rotting smell caught area parents' attention. The dumping site was just south of the West Palm Beach Canal near Longwood Road.

Based on early reports, "it looks to be religious, and it's not a bad thing," said Capt. Gina DiPace of the county's animal care and control. "There's several different religions in the Hispanic culture that do things like this," she added. "Yes, it's a type of voodoo, but there is good voodoo, bad voodoo, (and) different type of sacrifices." The bags, which also contained coconuts, charcoal, eggshells and a man's boxer shorts, posed no health risks, she said. Illegal dumping may be the only crime committed in this instance, DiPace said.

References

• Palm Beach Post - December 27, 2005

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