A traffic stop on I-10 in El Paso County turned into something deputies probably weren’t expecting: 72 exotic animals packed inside a minivan, including a caracal, kinkajous and tortoises.
According to a news release, El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte said deputies stopped a black Chrysler Pacifica around 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22 near mile marker 48 on I-10 East and identified the driver as 48-year-old Kelli Pinnock.
During the stop, deputies said they discovered the animals being transported in what they described as inhumane conditions. Several were confined to overcrowded or undersized containers that restricted their movement, while deputies also observed accumulated feces and urine, inadequate ventilation and a lack of accessible food and water.
The menagerie included 56 tortoises, two kinkajous, 11 hedgehogs, two guinea pigs and one caracal, an exotic wild cat.
Deputies also learned Pinnock had traveled through several states while transporting the animals and identified licensing violations and restrictions associated with a previous animal cruelty arrest in Florida. Federal wildlife authorities were contacted to determine whether additional violations had occurred.
El Paso County deputies found 72 exotic animals inside a vehicle during an I-10 traffic stop and arrested the driver on animal cruelty charges. (El Paso County Sheriff’s Office)
All 72 animals were voluntarily surrendered and transported with help from the El Paso County Animal Welfare Unit to facilities equipped to care for them.
Pinnock was arrested and charged with five counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals. She was booked into the El Paso County Downtown Detention Facility with a total bond of $10,000.
“Animal cruelty is a serious offense that has no place in our community,” Ugarte said. “Animals depend on us for their safety and well-being, and we have a responsibility to protect them.”
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This article originally published at 72 exotic animals crammed in minivan rescued in Texas I-10 bust.