A Florida man was arrested last week for fatally shooting his neighbor’s cow after previously expressing anger over livestock jumping his fence, according to authorities.
Hung Trinh, 54, of North Fort Myers, Florida, was arrested and charged with animal cruelty and grand theft of a commercial farm animal, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said in a May 14 Facebook post.
Trinh shot the 2-year-old cow on the neighbor’s property five times to its chest, gut and rear leg, authorities said. A veterinarian later determined that the cow needed to be euthanized, according to the sheriff’s office.
“There will be accountability for taking your frustrations out on innocent animals, in this case, multiple felonies and jail time,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a statement. “We know how much these animals mean to our farming community, and we will not tolerate these actions. I am proud of my Agriculture Unit for their immediate response and ability to make an arrest in this case.”
The calf’s owner said that Trinh had previously expressed anger over his livestock jumping the fence and threatened to shoot the animals, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office added that its detectives executed a search warrant and located the .22 caliber gun in a shed on Trinh’s property.
The Facebook post also included a video of authorities approaching the wounded calf before it succumbed to the injuries. The footage also showed Trinh’s arrest.
Trinh could not be reached for comment. According to a database for the Lee County Sheriff’s office, he is currently in custody, and his bond was set for $100,000. He is set to appear in court on June 16.
