Detenido por usar una cobaya como peluquín

Detenido por usar una cobaya como peluquín


Todos alguna vez hemos bromeado con eso de que el peluquín de un calvo con el que nos hemos cruzado parecía una rata. Muchos incluso se habrían imaginado la hasta cierto punto tierna escena de un amable señor sin pelo amaestrando pacientemente una cobaya (o conejillo de indias o cuy) para que el animal estuviese quieto sobre su cabeza.

Sin embargo, la realidad es mucho más cruel. Como en el caso de Charles Woodson, de 40 años y residente en Virgina (EE.UU.).

Este energúmeno habría comprado una preciosa cobaya de pelaje negro y dorado en una pajarería de su barrio para luego sacrificarla y ponérsela en su cabeza a modo de postizo.

Al parecer el trabajo no fue demasiado bueno. Varios testigos pudieron apreciar la forma de un animal en el peluquín de Woodson (algunos comentan que incluso se notaba la forma de la cabeza y de una pierna del animal). Algunos llegaron a sacar fotos del “hombre que no amaba a las cobayas” y las mostraron a la policía, que llevó a cabo una investigación que acabó con un registro en la casa del calvo y la incautación del peluquín que antes había sido un simpático animal de compañía.

Dado que para la legislación vigente en Virgina el maltrato animal sí es delito se podría proceder a condenar a Woodson a 12 años de cárcel y el pago de una multa de 2.500 dólares.

Ya sabéis cómo soy yo con esto de los animales. Yo hubiese condenado a este buen señor a meter la cabeza en un saco lleno de ratas rabiosas.

Man charged with animal cruelty to guinea pig

Town resident faces misdemeanor after being accused of skinning pet for a head ornament

By Ben Orcutt - borcutt@nvdaily.com

FRONT ROYAL -- A town man has been charged with animal cruelty for skinning a guinea pig and making a head ornament out of it.

Charles Woodson, 40, of 405 E. Criser Road, Apt. 301, remains free on a $2,500 personal recognizance bond pending a March 23 return in Warren County General District Court.

If convicted of the class 1 misdemeanor, Woodson faces a maximum punishment of 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Animal control officer Gerald L. Cubbage says in a criminal complaint form on file in court records that Woodson purchased the guinea pig from Noah's Ark Pet & Aquarium store in Front Royal.

"Charles Woodson was seen by neighbors wearing the skin of a guinea pig on his head," Cubbage says in the complaint form.

Woodson was arrested by Deputy Jim Petty on March 1 and charged with committing animal cruelty on Feb. 1, according to the arrest warrant.

Deputy Laura L. Gomez, who is also assigned to animal control, worked with Cubbage on the investigation of Woodson. Gomez says in a search warrant inventory and return on file in Circuit Court that authorities seized a "black/golden guinea pig hide including head," and the "leg to small animal" from Woodson's residence.

Gomez goes on to say in the affidavit for the search warrant that the residence to search was located in the Royal Arms Apartments on Criser Road.

"Front door is dark in color with multiple religious documents affixed to it: one item a poster having a female holding a child and three men facing female in poster," Gomez says. "Another document stating Catholic discussion group, to far left additional document religious in nature and another at bottom of center of door."

Gomez says that "two witnesses" produced a photo of a male wearing the guinea pig on his head.

"Deputy Cubbage personally witnessed the male subject wearing this head piece and exiting this residence," Gomez states.

In a Wednesday telephone interview, Gomez said it was important for authorities to act swiftly.

"Our concern is that it would escalate and we don't want the public to think it's OK to purchase pets from a pet store and make clothing out of them," she said.

Commonwealth's Attorney Brian M. Madden says in a Wednesday e-mail to the Daily that the statute that Woodson is charge under "applies to any animal."

Gomez said all pets are treated equally under the law.

"Anything that you could consider a companion animal, even down to a reptile," she said. "Animals that you would buy from a pet store. Every call and every situation is different, but animal cruelty is pretty cut and dry."

Woodson's investigation was treated seriously, Gomez said, adding that Woodson was taken for a mental health evaluation.

"Our concern was to find out what was going on in the residence," she said. "It's out of the ordinary to have someone skin a guinea pig and make an ornament out of it."