Police were called to the scene of a San Antonio residence and discovered nearly a dozen people partaking in what appears to be a satanic ritual. An anonymous individual called authorities after hearing sounds of animals in distress.
Authorities were dispatched at or around seven pm to the 11400 block of Bronze Sand Road, San Antonio, Texas. Allegedly, neighbors reported to police that animals were being slaughtered with knives.
After arriving on the scene, authorities reported that roughly a dozen people were apparently engaging in what the detained referred to as a religious animal sacrifice. However, as reported by Sgt. Elizabeth Gonzalez, the officers on scene witnessed a woman dismembering an animal of unknown origins, while another individual was found to be draining chickens’ blood into a container.
Sgt. Gonzalez’s stated that it appeared as though the individuals were engaging in some sort of ritual.
In addition to Sgt. Elizabeth Gonzalez’s statements, neighbors nearby stated;
“It sounded like a man moaning, but I heard the goat. It didn’t sound like it was coming from a human,” Gabriel Benavides said. “It is very unfortunate that happened, and I guess bizarre would be the biggest word because that happened in my neighborhood. I have been here all of my years of living and have never seen anything like that.”
I am “very shocked because it is not something you hear every day, so it is not something that happens here,” Tony Jimenez said. “I understand people got freedom of religion, but that kind of stuff doesn’t need to happen here.”
As to what exactly was going on, authorities have only detailed what the detainees have stated which is that it was some sort of a religious animal sacrifice.
Update – The detained speak out:
Robert Talamantez says that he is a priest of the African religion of Santeria, and it’s all a misunderstanding. Robert and Irma Talamantez have both practiced Santeria for almost thirty years. They said they aren’t cruel and they aren’t criminals, they’re just believers in a misunderstood religion.
“We had animals inside the cages and inside the bags, but they weren’t being abused,” Robert Talamantez said.
The Talamantezes said they were among about 30 people who were part of a ceremony for a new member. That involves blood sacrifices to Santos – or saints – represented by rocks kept in containers. They cut the animal’s jugulars and let them bleed out.
“We’re not beating animals to death,” Robert Talamantez said. “We’re not chopping off legs while they’re still alive… You know the only one that can complain about cruelty to animals is a vegan because we’re killing animals.”
The group sacrificed a goat, three roosters, a pigeon and some chickens and had other animals ready. After ceremonies like this, the Talamantezes said they’d cut the sacrificed animals up to cook up and eat in a ceremonial meal.