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Article Archive > Man admits dead animals part of Santeria ritual Man admits dead animals part of Santeria ritual A North Bergen man pleaded guilty to animal cruelty in municipal court Wednesday after admitting he was responsible for animal carcasses found on the shore here as part of a Santeria religious ritual. Alain Hernandez, 29, said the animals had been killed in North Bergen and then brought to Spring Lake as part of a ritual designed to generate wealth, according to a statement he made to investigators. On Wednesday he pleaded guilty before Municipal Court Judge George Pappas to a disorderly persons offense of needlessly abusing and killing a living creature. Hernandez was assessed fines and restitution fees totaling $900. The offense occurred in the early evening on April 27, police said. Victor "Buddy" Amato, chief of police for the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said investigators were led to Hernandez after a passer-by thought his actions looked suspicious and jotted down his license plate number. Police later found chicken carcasses, dead fish, fruits and a dollar bill scattered on the beach where Hernandez had been, Amato said. "He said his mother is a practicing Santeria priestess, but another Santero did the ritual and told him to put the animal carcasses in a wealthy community for better results," Amato said. That's why he chose Spring Lake, Amato added. Hernandez's attorney, Mark Rothman, did not return a call seeking comment.
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