Andre Pablo Martinez, Daniel Lombana, and Juan Bazan of Miami-Dade County, Florida were arrested Friday for allegedly operating an illegal slaughterhouse, news sources report. Martinez, Lombana, and Bazan were booked into the Miami-Dade County Jail on charges of cruelty to animals. Lombana's bail bond was set at $15,000; Martinez's at $22,500; and Bazan's at $5,000. The press did not specify a criminal defense lawyer for any of the defendants.
According to reports, the incident occurred VIP Animal Sales on Southwest 117th Avenue in southwest Miami-Dade County. While VIP Animal Sales reportedly sells animals for legal religious sacrifice, the defendants were allegedly operating an unlicensed slaughterhouse within the business and employing inhumane techniques. A member of Animal Recovery Mission claimed the animals the defendants were slaughtering included a sheep, a pig, and a rabbit.
"The rabbits are stabbed to death, beaten with bats. They are at times skinned, possibly skinned alive," the ARM member reportedly stated about the improper killings. The ARM has a video of the alleged killings that has been released to the public. The video was reportedly recorded on undercover cameras.
Police executed a warrant at VIP Animal Sales on Friday and the ARM seized ducks, chickens, rabbits, and a horse. It is unclear how the allegations will affect the day-to-day operations of the business. So far, no one from VIP Animal Sales has commented publicly on the situation.
"The cruel dispatching of these animals at an illegal slaughterhouse is exactly what the Florida Legislature wanted to end when it created the animal cruelty statute," a Miami-Dade County Attorney spokesperson stated after the arrests. "Such unnecessary brutality demeans not just the people who do it, but those who would stand by and let it happen."
The Animal Recovery Mission was founded by Richard 'Kudo' Couto in 2010, sources say. Before found ARM, Kudo worked with the South Florida SPCA and assisted in uncovering illegal horse slaughter farms throughout out South Florida. On his website, Kudo claims he has "educated himself in every law and matter relating to illegal [animal cruelty] operations in the USA and is highly regarded professionally and publicly."
While animal abuse may occur at farms and other animal-related businesses, sometimes it happens right in people's back yards. Rolando Rives of Naples was arrested Wednesday after he was accused of beating eight ducklings to death with a broomstick, reports say. Rives, 55, was booked into police custody on eight counts of animal cruelty. It is unclear whether he qualified for bail or hired legal representation.
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