Officials ask for help identifying person who brutally killed 4 chickens in Isla Vista, pictures released

ISLA VISTA, California – Alayna Isias shows us her daily routine as she cares for four chickens in front of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church.

Sunshine, Speckles, Shadow and Siracha all had their unique personalities, but Isias says Sunshine was her favorite.

The community mourns the loss of what they call their small family.

“They meant a lot to me, and they’re just really sweet animals. I’m sorry to say this, but they were,” said Dennis Berger, who lives in Isla Vista.

Photos from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office show a boy in a gray hoodie with an alligator mask over his mouth and nose.

It is assumed that he is responsible for this.

According to witnesses, the teenager broke into the chicken coop on Sunday and killed the four chickens.

He sped off on his bike, but came back to grab one of the chickens before riding away again.

“You never know what the next step is going to be. And you don’t want the next step to be hurting a real human being. And you know, it’s difficult to just hurt an animal like that. And when someone does something like that, they need help. And if we don’t help them, they’re not going to stop,” said Anthony Rodriguez, co-founder of the Community Compassion Team.

On an online platform called Yik Yak, anonymous users shared stories about a child matching a similar description killing ducklings and skunks in the area.

The Sheriff’s Department says that without a report to support these allegations, no further investigation can be conducted.

“As we all know, when you hurt animals that young, it’s not because they have a mental disorder, something that’s really evident. And hopefully whoever it is gets help, you know, either through the courts, you know, mental health services or something like that, you know, because the chickens just don’t work for the church as a community,” said Goleta resident David Marcengo.

The authority asks you to contact the police if you witness animal cruelty or similar behavior.