Memorial honors 81 animals killed in Prunedale
By Brooke Kinebrew
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PRUNEDALE, California (KSBW) — The community in Prunedale is stepping up to show support to neighbors who lost their animals in a shooting last week.
As neighbors mourned the loss of more than 80 animals killed, Angie Roeder started crafting a memorial piece, hoping to bring neighbors comfort.
“I was just heartbroken,” Roeder explained. “And I just felt like I needed to do something to help.”
The painting symbolizes the story of animals crossing over the rainbow bridge when they die.
Roeder lives nearby and says these animals’ deaths have been weighing heavy on her heart since the day it happened.
She then worked to transfer what was in her head, onto this canvas.
“They’re in their heaven,” Roeder said. “They’re playing in their own meadow, whether it’s chasing after butterflies and grasshoppers or they’re eating grass, but they’re in their happy place. So the rainbow sign was my way of wishing and hoping that they were over that rainbow bridge and they were playing in that meadow.”
Shannon Soria has lived on Avery Lane for over a decade.
“Driving up on one side, I see animals, and on the other side I see the little boys who play around outside,” Soria said.
Now, she doesn’t see either.
“They’re too scared to be outside, which this is otherwise a beautiful, peaceful, quiet neighborhood,” Soria said. “It’s tragic.”
The memorial was installed on Monday. Neighbors came out to help install the sign, leaving flowers on the side.
Vicente Arroyo has been charged in the shooting and is in jail on $1 million bail.
He is getting a court-ordered mental health evaluation to see if he’s competent to stand trial.
People online have asked what they can do to help the community. At the end of the day, neighbors say they just want justice.
“It is not something that we’re used to or anybody’s used to,” Soria said. “And it’s sad to say that, you know, that we are prepared now to be expecting something like this on a human tragic level, but not with animals.”
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