Gary Morris Sr. was charged Wednesday with six counts of animal cruelty, two counts of failing to provide food and two counts of depriving an animal of water and leaving a dead one in public view, according to online General District Court records. All are misdemeanors, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department.
On Dec. 31, Animal Control, police and firefighters removed the hogs, which were found near a soybean farm on city property in the 2800 block of Salem Road.
The city acquired the 16.5 acres of open and wooded land from Mill Dam Landing Associates in September 2008, said Barry Shockley, the city’s facilities manager. The land was purchased as a part of an effort to protect Oceana Naval Air Station from encroachment.
In 2005, Oceana became an endangered base and threatened to relocate to Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Fla., unless Virginia Beach bought back property around it to protect its security.
Sometime after 2008, farmers began planting soybean crops on the land and raising pigs there, Shockley said.
“The city didn’t have an agreement for anyone to be farming that land,” he said.
The hogs have since been relocated to other farms that can provide care or have been sent to market, police said in a statement.
Morris was released on his own recognizance, and his first court date is Feb. 22. He could not be reached for comment.
(The Virginian-Pilot - Jan 15, 2016)
Earlier:
No comments:
Post a Comment