Tossing Beheaded Chicken Into City Street Leads To Fine

[matcom]

<snip>

ELMHURST -- Like other officers who work the night shift, Elmhurst Police Officer Keith Yarka sees some strange things, but seeing a motorist leave a decapitated chicken at a city intersection was a first.

Yarka witnessed Jose A. Cruz, 25, of Sweetwater, Fla., toss a still-flapping but decapitated chicken out of his car on the night of Feb. 6.

Cruz told officers he killed the chicken for good luck because he was about to drive home to Florida. Police Chief Steve Neubauer said Cruz practices the Santeria, or Lukumi, religion, an African-based faith that originated in Latin America. Followers sometimes sacrifice animals, most often chickens, believing that they can receive help from deities.

Neubauer said decapitating the bird was not a crime because it is a humane way to kill chickens. Animal-control experts examined the dead bird and found no markings of abuse on it.

But Cruz wasn't completely off the hook. He was arrested for littering. Cruz was excused from appearing in person at a court hearing Thursday. He pleaded guilty to unlawful dumping of garbage or other offensive substance.

A fine amount is still under consideration by the DuPage County court.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northshore/chi-0603080216mar08,1,5167033.story?coll=chi-newslocalnorthshore-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

[Deja Q]

1. Ridding one's self of good food? And, more importantly, was

the chicken still moving when the cops got it?

:rofl:

[XemaSab]

2. .

[SOteric]

3. Remember that, matcom, you're

only supposed to choke the chicken. Not decapitate it and chuck it out the window.

[flvegan]

4. Guess "luck" was disproven.

Decapitation is humane...I find that almost funny. When did our penal system do away with cutting off the heads of those sentenced to die? Don't lots of folks get panties in a bunch when beheadings are performed and videos released? At least it's humane.

Oh, well.

[Ivan Sputnik]

5. I once saw three headless chickens

in a cardboard box in the middle of the street near my home. Now I finally understand what that was all about.