Decapitated Goat Found In Land Park Is Latest Mutilated Animal Discovery In Sacramento Area

By Kelly Ryan

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A decapitated goat found over the weekend in a Sacramento neighborhood brings the total number of animal mutilations in the region to more than a dozen since September.

Neighbors in Land Park are still on edge after the remains were left on a street corner in a paper bag on Saturday.

"It was just sitting over there by the stop sign," said Josh Chadwick.

He and his family were hosting a birthday party when he saw police surrounding a brown paper bag across the street from his home.

It was the remains of a decapitated goat, part of a string of mutilations discovered in the last 8 months.

Just last week the body of a decapitated chicken was found on railroad tracks, also in a brown grocery store paper bag.

In June, surveillance video showed a woman throwing out a mutilated goat, cat, fish ,rat, and chickens on Sacramento's light rail tracks. In some cases dollar bills and candles were also found with the remains. Police tell CBS 13 they aren't positive all the cases are related and are looking for suspects.

Sacramento State humanities and religious studies professor Jeffrey Brodf has been following the case and says a few things stand out.He thinks it may be connected with someone who is looking to sacrifice an animal for the health of themselves or a relative.

"To try to purify in the form of healing to carry out the disease of a loved one," he said.

No matter what the motive, neighbors in the area of the most recent case are hoping police find whoever is responsible.