Why it took sheriff’s deputies in the Prunedale animal shooting 3 hours to apprehend the alleged shooter

PRUNEDALE, Calif. (KION-TV) - In the weeks following the Prunedale animal shooting on Sept. 3 that left 81 animals dead, new questions are emerging over why it took three hours to apprehend the alleged shooter.

The quiet Prunedale neighborhood on Avery Lane was rocked that morning by a barrage of bullets could be heard throughout the area.

“The only thing you're thinking about is just, what do I have to do to protect my, my wife and my my kid, who were in the house," Jason Maynard said.

Maynard lives next to where officials arrested 39-year-old Vicente Arroyo. Investigators said he was shooting for roughly three hours and killing those dozens of animals.

“Based on the environmental conditions and the darkness, it was very, very difficult for them to pinpoint where exactly this gunfire was coming from," Monterey County Sheriff's Office PIO Andy Rosas said.

Commander Rosas tells KION, those challenges lead to them bringing in a swat team as well drones from Seaside Fire.

“Because of the thick vegetation in that area, the drone couldn't actually pinpoint where the threat was coming from," Rosas said.

He said, the onboard night vision cameras had trouble seeing through the vegetation. Additionally, the limited lightning resulted in the area essentially being pitch black.

When asked if sheriff's deputies believed people were potentially getting shot at any point, Rosas said, “We have to rely heavily on what is being reported to us. And again, this particular case, there was nobody that was reporting to us that their home or that they themselves were being fired upon.”

Rosas emphasizes the report came in as “shots heard” as opposed to an “active shooter”. In the aftermath, no people were hurt, however 81 animals ultimately died.

While the suspect is in custody and the investigation continues, Rosas said, “we want answers to why this happened, and and unfortunately, that's not something that we've been able to obtain at this point”

“I believe the sheriffs did what, what they could do, you know, without injuring themselves or causing any any more damage," Maynard said.

This small Prunedale community continuing their own recovery, building a memorial for the 81 animals lost.

According to the district attorney’s office, the case was continued to Oct. 2 to further determine his mental competency to stand trial.