‘I felt angry.’ Man accused of killing 4-H lambs at high school, California cops say

A 31-year-old man told officers that he beat two lambs to death and injured a third at a high school because he “felt angry,” California police reported.

Officers arrested the man Feb. 23 after identifying him from security video shot at Gonzales High School, police said in a news release.

He faces charges including animal cruelty and trespassing on school grounds, according to Monterey County Sheriff’s Office jail records.

The lambs, part of the school’s 4-H program, were discovered on the morning of Feb. 18, police said. A veterinarian treated the injured lamb.

After reviewing security video footage, officers detained the 31-year-old man on an unrelated warrant while he was riding a bicycle “after a short struggle,” the release said.

The man told police he rode his bicycle to the high school to steal a tool, then attacked the three lambs, telling police, “I felt angry,” the release said. He was booked at the Monterey County Jail.

The school told KION it has replaced the lambs with the help of the community.

Gonzales is a city of 8,600 people about 35 miles east of Monterey.

This story was originally published February 27, 2023 at 3:59 PM with the headline "‘I felt angry.’ Man accused of killing 4-H lambs at high school, California cops say."