Pet pig stabbed to death
Honolulu, HI (US)Incident Date: Monday, Oct 30, 2006
County: Honolulu
Charges: Felony Non-CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Joseph Calarruda
Case Updates: 7 update(s) available
The garage where Porky died still has blood stains, streak marks from when the hunters dragged him to his death. Owners of the five-year-old, 300-pound pig are still in shock and can't believe their pet is gone.
"We felt so helpless and so vulnerable that this crime could take place, that people could walk in to our home with knives, and dogs and whatever weapons they may have had, just take, steal and kill in front of our very eyes," said the Mililani woman who helped take care of Porky.
The Honolulu Police Department is now trying to identify the hunters.
Porky's owners feel the law is stacked against them. They say the night Porky was stabbed, officers told them they need to keep the suspects on the property in order to file charges.
"We asked them how can we do this when people have dogs and weapons, and more things than us? How can we restrain people like that?" asked one of Porky's owners.
"You don't walk to somebody with a gun and a knife and hunting dogs and tell them, 'Hey, stay over here while I call the cops.' It's just not common sense," said one of Porky's other owners.
Charges against the suspects can range from criminal trespassing to hunting on private land, both misdemeanors. Or a more serious charge of theft of livestock which is a felony.
Witnesses say they are willing to come forward.
"We felt so helpless and so vulnerable," said one of the witnesses.
Porky's owners say nothing they do will bring him back, but they're moving forward so other pet owners hopefully won't have to suffer the same trauma.
Porky's story continues to touch many people. An anonymous viewer is offering a $1,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of Porky's killers. Police urge people to file formal complaints because without witnesses testimony, this case and other's like it can't move forward.
Case UpdatesThe man accused of killing a pet pig in Mililani made a tearful plea for leniency on Friday in a separate case.
Joseph Calarruda still faces a second trial for the killing of "Porky" the pet pig. The first jury could not reach a verdict.
He was sentenced on Friday for being a felon in possession of a firearm, an AK-47 he brought to his workplace.
"When my Kawailani tells, who is now 13 years old, tell me 'Daddy, I love you no matter what,' it makes me cry tears of joy, and love life for how it is, and for what it is supposed to be for," Calarruda said.
Judge David Lo gave Calarruda 10 years in prison and ruled he must serve at least a third of that before parole.
Calarruda's first felony was a kidnapping charge associated with abuse of a girlfriend. | Source: The Hawaii Channel - Oct 5, 2007
Update posted on Oct 7, 2007 - 5:03AM |
A mistrial has been declared in the case of a Waianae man accused of killing a pet pig at a Mililani lychee farm nearly a year ago.
Joseph Calarruda, 28, was charged with theft of livestock, a misdemeanor, in the Oct. 22 death of 6-year-old Porky at Luka Pila Orchard.
Circuit Judge Richard Pollack found that the jury was "hopelessly deadlocked" after receiving several communications that they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The jury first notified the court that they were hung on Wednesday after a full day of deliberations. The jury deliberated yesterday, returned in the late afternoon and indicated that additional time would not help.
Pollack set a retrial for the week of Dec. 3.
Deputy Public Defender Travis Stephens declined comment, noting that a retrial was set.
Deputy Prosecutor Scott Bell said the state intends to retry the case. Jurors told the state that nine were in favor of conviction, two were undecided and one was for acquittal.
The jurors indicated they had hoped to hear from witnesses who could confirm or refute either side's version of the events. But those witnesses would have been Calarruda's buddies, Bell said.
Calarruda maintained at trial that he was at home with his fiancee at the time and was nowhere near Mililani on Oct. 22 or 23, when the 300-pound pig was killed.
Calarruda, born and raised on the Waianae Coast, testified he does not even know where Mililani is.
His fiancee, Rickelle Silva, also testified he was with her all evening, first at her parents' home for a late dinner and then at their Hanalei Street home. She also denied being in the Mililani area.
Three people who lived in a rental home on the 130-acre farm identified Calarruda in a photo lineup as the man who ran into their carport and stabbed Porky to death.
Two police officers testified they pulled over two pickup trucks not far from the lychee farm. In one truck the passenger identified himself as Calarruda and said the female whom police had stopped farther down the road in another truck was his girlfriend.
An acquaintance who was in the bed of the truck, Don Pogtis, testified at trial that he, not Calarruda, killed the pig and that Calarruda was not with them that evening.
The female in the other truck gave police another name, but the officer later identified her from a photo as Rickelle Silva.
Calarruda also is awaiting sentencing for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in July 2006. | Source: Star Bulletin - Sept 21, 2007
Update posted on Oct 7, 2007 - 5:02AM |
The trial began on Wednesday in the killing of a pet pig in Mililani that has revealed weaknesses in the state's animal cruelty law. Porky" was born and raised as a pet. He died at the hands of dogs and a knife-wielding hunter.
"Suddenly the quiet Sunday evening was pieced by a sharp scream," Deputy Prosecutor Scott Bell said.
The scream was from Porky, a lychee-loving, docile pet, being pursued into his familiar carport by a pack of hunting dogs and Joseph Calarruda V, prosecutors said. Calarruda is accused of killing and trying to drag away the pig despite the witnesses shouting warnings.
"Mike Caballa told the defendant 'Pull your dogs off -- this is a pet pig,'" Bell said.
Calarruda said he was not even there. His girlfriend is backing his story.
"Joseph Calarruda was home with his girlfriend Rickel Silva on the other side of the island in Waianae," defense attorney Travis Stephens said.
Prosecutors said there is no doubt Calarruda was there. He was picked out of a photo lineup with his girlfriend nearby.
"He in fact was the one who killed Porky and not anyone else," Bell said.
Calarruda is not technically charged with killing Porky. He is charged with theft of livestock, a five-year felony. At the time of the killing, animal cruelty was a misdemeanor.
The way Calarruda is charged, even if the jury believes he killed Porky that does not end the case. The state must also prove that he knew someone else owned the pig and he intended to steal the carcass. | Source: Yahoo News - Sept 13, 2007
Update posted on Sep 13, 2007 - 4:51PM |
The killing of two pet pigs got a lot of media attention several months ago. It's a story that's prompted the Hawaiian Humane Society and others to push for tougher animal cruelty laws.
Currently, a person accused of animal cruelty, can only be charged with a misdemeanor here in Hawaii. The Humane Society says it wants to change that, and animal lovers say they want tougher laws to protect family pets.
Leonardo DiPiggio does what pigs do best. He enjoys a sunny day in his new home in Mililani. He also gets a visit from his former owners: the Bucks.
"We're so excited to be here and I can't believe how much he's grown," said Michelle Buck, Leonardo's former owner. "He's looking more and more like a wild pig."
"He just has -- I don't know how big it is -- but he has a humongous place to roam around and get muddy and stuff," said Kolu Buck, who helped raise the pig.
The Bucks gave Leo -- as he's known now -- to a family whose pet pig Porky was stabbed to death.
"I can't even imagine that kind of thing is happening," said Michelle Buck. "We think that it should definitely be a felony offense."
The Hawaiian Humane Society agrees.
"Really when you have things that are just so horrible as to what happened to the family and to that pig, it really makes us look at the situation and say, 'Is a misdemeanor enough?'" said Janet Hyrne, a foster care volunteer and an animal rights advocate for the Hawaiian Humane Society.
That's why they will work on changing existing laws.
"The animal cruelty law is probably one of the main things that the Humane Society is going to be working towards," said Hyrne. "I think that we can look forward to seeing stronger laws that protect all animals."
Back at the farm, the Bucks are grateful they got a chance to see Leo during the holidays.
"It's like a present except it's a little earlier than Christmas," said Kolu Buck.
"To come out here and spend the morning with Leonardo and his new family is a wonderful holiday gift to us," said Michelle Buck.
They hope tougher news laws are passed, so pets like Leo will be better protected.
Castle and Cooke, the company that owns the property adjacent to the farm where Porky was killed, has taken steps to increase security. It is working to install a fence and a gate to block off the access road used by animal poachers. Once the plans are approved by the Board of Water Supply, it will take about a month to complete the project. | Source: KHNL - Dec 22, 2006
Update posted on Dec 27, 2006 - 11:58AM |
A 28-year-old man accused of trespassing on private property and killing a 300-pound pet feral pig in Mililani Mauka was free on bail on a firearms charge at the time, court records show.
Joseph V. Calarruda V yesterday pleaded not guilty at Circuit Court to felony livestock theft in connection with the killing of the pig, named "Porky," at a lychee farm Oct. 22. Trial has been set for Jan. 22, 2007. Calarruda is free on $50,000 bail.
When asked if he regretted what happened, Calarruda told television cameras outside of court yesterday, "Oh yes, it's a sad thing. But, you know, all that meat could've fed some poor people, and instead it went into the ground. And ... that's all I can say right now."
Calarruda has other legal problems. Calarruda was charged June 9 with bringing an AK-47 assault rifle and a loaded ammunition magazine to his workplace. He was free on $40,000 bail on the firearm charge when the alleged pig incident occurred. Conviction on the firearms charge carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
Calarruda is facing revocation of his bail on the weapon case. The start of his jury trial for the firearm offenses has been continued to January.
According to documents filed at Circuit Court, the pig's owners, neighbors and the farm's resident manager heard the 300-pound animal squealing and saw two dogs and Calarruda chasing it into a garage on the farm property. The pig stopped squealing, and the neighbors saw Calarruda dragging the pig's bloody body out of the garage.
Calarruda was confronted by a neighbor and the resident manager after the neighbor saw him cut into one of the pig's legs with a knife. Calarruda and another man fled the farm after the neighbor pointed out the no-trespassing signs and told them the pig was a farm pet.
Porky had appeared on television in an airline commercial and on the television series "Lost," according to its owners.
If convicted, Calarruda faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine on the livestock charge. | Source: Honolulu Advertiser - Nov 21, 2006
Update posted on Nov 21, 2006 - 10:55AM |
28 year old Joseph Calarruda is in custody after turning himself in at the Wahiawa police station last night. His criminal history includes kidnapping, assault, abuse and parole violations.
He could have faced misdemeanors like trespassing and cruelty to animals but instead he's arrested for felony theft.
Borges explains, "We take this very serious, that's why we conducted this whole investigation and charges against the suspect. It is a serious matter theft of livestock and not only that, this animal was their pet, it was their pet. He not only took a piece of livestock but their family pet so it's very tragic."
News of the boar's death has reached Washington, DC. The Humane Society of the United States faxed a letter to Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlise demanding justice.
Dale Bartlett says, "This is a crime that is especially brutal and egregious. The guy stabbed the pig repeatedly in front of people who are saying please stop that's my pet pig, so we feel cruelty charges need to be added."
But Hawaii is only one of eight states without a felony animal cruelty law.
Porky's owner adds, "Number one you can't just get a slap on the wrist if you kill someone's animal. Hopefully all the states can have this law."
Porky's owner says he will let the Humane Society use porky to lobby for stricter cruelty laws.
If convicted of stealing livestock, Joseph Calarruda could face up to five years in prison. | Source: KHNL - Nov 9, 2006
Update posted on Nov 12, 2006 - 9:13PM |
A Makaha man, who had been identified through ongoing investigation, surrendered to police at the Wahiawa station Wednesday and was arrested for felony livestock theft. He is expected to be charged today.
The man has a criminal record; he was convicted in 2000 for kidnapping his then-girlfriend in the parking lot of the Wai'anae police station. He served one year in prison and five years' probation.
The 5-year-old pig's owner is the resident manager of the lychee farm. Borges said the manager had caught the suspect trespassing two weeks before the pig was killed and had warned him not to come back. The man and two other pig hunters returned Oct. 22 with five dogs, said Borges.
According to witnesses, Porky was sleeping in a bed of grass when five dogs chased him into the garage.
"The people were right there in his face, telling him to get the dogs out, that he was trespassing and not to kill the pig because he was a pet," Borges said. "They heard the pig squealing and then there was silence."
The man allegedly went into the garage, killed the pig and dragged it out and left it in front of its owner, police said.
The incident is drawing the attention of national pet groups.
The Humane Society of the United States yesterday asked City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle to fully investigate and prosecute the man.
In a letter to Carlisle, the organization expressed its concern "because of the apparent callous, gratuitously cruel nature of the killing, magnified by the fact that the men were apparently unaffected by the screams of witnesses begging them to stop the massacre."
Dale Bartlett, the society's national deputy manager of animal cruelty issues, said, "The seeming malice with which the killing was carried out, heedless of its effects on Porky's family members, is particularly troublesome and speaks to a disturbing propensity toward violence that we fear may carry over to affect people as well, given the well-proven connection between cruelty to animals and violence against people."
Bartlett urged Carlisle to seek significant jail time and psychological counseling for the pig hunter.
The prosecutor's office yesterday also received a letter from Farm Sanctuary, a farm animal protection organization which operates animal shelters in upstate New York and northern California, that supports prosecution against the man.
According to police, Porky had between $2,000 and $5,000 worth of commercial jobs pending. | Source: The Honoluli Advertiser - Nov 10, 2006
Update posted on Nov 10, 2006 - 8:28AM |
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