Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Santeria Adherent Fined For Animal Cruelty
App.com reports that in Spring Lake, NJ, Alain Hernandez was assessed fines and restitution fees totalling $900 after pleading guilty yesterday in Municipal Court to a charge of animal cruelty. Hernandez's mother is a Santeria priestess. Another Santero ritually killed a number of animals in a ritual designed to generate wealth. The Santero told Hernandez to put the carcasses in a wealthy community to get better results. That explains police finding chicken carcasses, dead fish, fruits and a dollar bill scattered on the beach at Spring Lake. Apparently no Free Exercise claims were raised by Hernandez.