Professor: Remains might not be sacrifice

While a few of the animal remains that have turned up in Newport Beach lately appear to be from religious ceremonies, others appear to be poor imitations and possibly from someone who just wanted to mutilate an animal, a Chapman University professor contends.

Between March 23 and Monday, four sets of dead animals have turned up in Newport Beach. Landscapes at Castaways Park last month found a jar filled with a dark liquid, crushed peppers and dead chickens with cut necks.

Last week, three dead rabbits with no clear injuries were found in the grass off Back Bay Drive near San Joaquin Hills Road. Most recently, a bag washed ashore at 24th Street near West Ocean Front on Monday that contained dead chickens and a goat, all beheaded and dismembered, along with vegetables. Blocks away, near the 28th Street jetty, a dead duck and dead chicken with cut necks were found caught in kelp the same morning, police said.

Authorities chalk it up to a Santería religious ceremony that includes animal sacrifice.

Santería is an Afro-Caribbean religion blending Roman Catholic saints with West African Yoruban nation gods, and includes sacrifices and blessings.

Various animals, colors and tools are used during the sacrificed depending on the god the devotee is looking to please with the sacrifice.

Cities around the county have dealt with similar tales in the past, police said. In October 2000, three beheaded chickens washed up near Newport Pier.

Paul Apodaca, who specializes in folklore, mythology, American Indian studies, and California, Southwestern and Mexican culture at Chapman University, said the inconsistencies in the incidents raises questions.

“The different manners of the disposal of the remains of the animals, some careful, others not, some beheaded, some not, some interred with other materials, some not, makes this description seem not to be a Santería ceremony carefully following a ritual but someone with a disturbed personality making personal variations,” he said.

“Bona fide religious sacrifices are highly ritualized methods and the remains of the animal are carefully disposed of to preserve the sanctity and affective power of the ritual.”

Police said Apodaca is entitled to his opinion, but there’s nothing to lead police to believe the killings are malicious and they are not investigating the incidents.

“Obviously if something is brought to our attention indicative of a criminal statute being violated we would look into it,” Sgt. Evan Sailor said.

Authorities expressed concern that the remains were found in public places, which could be a disturbing sight for children and could also be considered littering, but there’s nothing past that for law enforcement.

“They’re following their 1st amendment right and the animals are sacrificed humanely. We support that right,” Sailor said.

According to California Food and Agricultural Code Section 19501, subsection 2, “The animal shall be handled, prepared for slaughter, and slaughtered in accordance with ritual requirements of the Jewish or any other religious faith that prescribes a method of slaughter whereby the animal suffers loss of consciousness by anemia of the brain caused by the simultaneous and instantaneous severance of the carotid arteries with a sharp instrument.”

That standards applies to ritualistic slaughters, which are listed under California’s Code of Regulations Title 3 Section 1245.16.

Reporter JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.