 |
|
Article Archive > Chickens found beheaded in suspected Santeria ritual Chickens found beheaded in suspected Santeria ritual KEANSBURG - Police found two beheaded chickens on the beach today and they believe the animals were killed in a Santeria ritual. Keansburg police and the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are handling the investigation. Authorities believe the chickens were likely sacrificed in the cleansing ritual Wednesday night, said Victor "Buddy" Amato, the county SPCA police chief. The ritual is illegal because the animals are killed needlessly - the chickens are not eaten after they are killed, he said. Santeria is an Afro-Caribbean religion that grew out of the slave trade in Cuba, according to the BBC's religion and ethics Web site. It mixed the Yoruba traditions of African slaves with the Roman Catholic faith of Spanish plantation owners, the website says.
|