Palm Beach County News
Jury convicts Loxahatchee farm owner of animal cruelty in slaughter of goats
By Marc Freeman
Loxahatchee farm owner Jorge Garcia, 48, was sentenced Tuesday to one year in jail and one year of probation on four animal cruelty charges connected to the inhumane slaughter of two goats last year. (Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office)
A Loxahatchee farm owner's guilty verdict on four misdemeanor animal cruelty charges Wednesday was hailed as a major victory by the founder of a Miami-based animal rights group whose efforts led to the convictions.
"Imagine the animals we saved because of this case," said Animal Recovery Mission leader Richard "Kudo" Couto, after watching rancher Jorge Luis Garcia being led out of a Palm Beach County courtroom in handcuffs. "He would still be torturing…animals every day."
A jury of four women and two men convicted Garcia, 48, in the inhumane slaughter of two goats on his property last summer. Prosecutors had pursued two felony counts, but after three hours of deliberations, the panel opted to convict only on lesser charges.
Circuit Judge Samantha Schosberg Feuer said she will sentence Garcia on April 26. She ordered Garcia to be held in the Palm Beach County Jail until he learns his fate, after prosecutors pointed out Garcia's criminal history includes a 2004 animal cruelty charge.
Before the trial started Tuesday, Garcia turned down an offer from the State Attorney's Office to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of five years' probation, including six months in jail. Now he faces up to two years and four months in prison for the convictions — two counts of animal cruelty and two counts of killing animals by non-humane methods.
[Popular on SunSentinel.com] Pesky iguanas cost South Florida city $1.8 million in emergency repairs »
"I am very, very satisfied with the verdict," prosecutor Judy Arco said.
She believes the key to the convictions were videos of the slaughter secretly recorded by Couto's representatives and turned over to law enforcement. The jury had asked to watch the full-color footage again during deliberations.
Prosecutors Arco and Jo Wilensky argued Garcia allowed both goats to suffer by being strung upside down alive before their throats were sliced with a knife and bled out at the Rancho Garcia property, 15703 Orange Blvd.
While Garcia declined to testify, his lawyer argued the undercover videos don't prove the goats suffered, and the intrusion on private property violated Garcia's rights. The judge denied the defense's request to keep the videos out of the trial.
Garcia will appeal the convictions on the basis that the videos of the goat slaughter are illegal, said attorney Andrew Stine.
"The videotaping of the property, we believe, is unconstitutional and against Florida statutes," Stine said. "This is a great issue for appeal."
[Popular on SunSentinel.com] Get ready, Boca and Delray: Construction is expanding on I-95 express lanes »
Investigators with Animal Recovery Mission took the secret videos — posing as consumers seeking to buy meat from fresh kills — prompting law enforcement officers to raid Rancho Garcia and two other Loxahatchee farms Oct. 13. Eight men were arrested.
On Monday, one of Garcia's co-defendants, Jose Guadelupe Pena, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty and one count of killing animals by non-humane methods. He was sentenced to one day in jail and given credit for serving that time.
A case is still pending against another co-defendant, Rafael Ramirez, 50, described as "the butcher" by Stine. His next court date is May 17. Ramirez faces the same charges as Garcia, along with one count of unlawful possession or sale of horse meat.
Animal Recovery Mission members reported finding filets of cut-up horse meat at Rancho Garcia, and Couto accused Garcia's business of supplying horse meat "to customers from Miami to Palm Beach."
Prosecutors, however, said they found no evidence of horses being slaughtered on the farm.
On Tuesday, one the group's undercover investigators testified about visiting Garcia's farm Aug. 22 and Sept. 12, concealing tiny cameras and asking to buy goat meat for family gatherings.
[Popular on SunSentinel.com] Super Bowl celebrations in Broward and Palm Beach County »
"This is the only way we can provide evidence" of extreme animal cruelty, the witness told the jury. The investigator asked reporters to withhold an identification because of the nature of the work.
Breaking News Alerts Newsletter
Sign up to receive alerts on major breaking news stories, severe weather and special reporting from the Sun Sentinel.
You are now following this newsletter. See all newsletters.
The witness testified the goats appeared to suffer after being hung upside down and having their throats slashed.
Heidi Thomas, an Ocala veterinarian and Animal Recovery Mission volunteer, testified the goats suffered unnecessary pain and stress.
Latest Palm Beach County News
Pesky iguanas cost South Florida city $1.8 million in emergency repairs
Get ready, Boca and Delray: Construction is expanding on I-95 express lanes
Super Bowl celebrations in Broward and Palm Beach County
State law requires that animals can't be slaughtered unless they are first "rendered insensitive to pain."
But Stine tried to discredit Thomas for only having watched the videos and not examining the animals after they died.
"It's humane," the attorney insisted, adding, "The goat died immediately."
mjfreeman@tribpub.com, 561-243-6642 or Twitter @MarcJFreeman
Trials and Arbitration