The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office was asking for the public’s help Wednesday in finding the burglars who broke into a Foster Farms facility and used a golf club to slaughter nearly 1,000 chickens.
The incident occurred in the 3600 block of West Swanson Avenue in Caruthers on the morning of Sept. 20, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators believed at least two people pulled back a portion of the fence and entered a chicken shed at the facility.
The intruders then used a golf club and possibly another similar instrument to beat roughly 920 chickens to death, the release stated.
The value of the birds was estimated at about $5,000.
“The perpetrator committed an unconscionable act of animal cruelty. This appears to be a random act of violence,” the company said in a statement, according to CNN-affiliate KFSN.
Foster Farms was offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the people responsible for the crime.
Anyone with information about the investigation was asked to call Ag Task Force detectives at 559-600-8150 or the Sheriff’s Office at 559-600-3111.
Those wishing to leave a tip anonymously were urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867.