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Names Released Of Three Charged In Animal Abuse At Fair Oaks Farms

The Newton County Sheriff’s office released the names Tuesday of three former Fair Oaks Farms employees facing criminal charges connected to animal cruelty.
Fair Oaks Farms/Facebook
The Newton County Sheriff’s office released the names Tuesday of three former Fair Oaks Farms employees facing criminal charges connected to animal cruelty.

The Newton County Sheriff’s office released the names Tuesday of three former Fair Oaks Farms employees facing criminal charges connected to animal cruelty.

Last week, Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) released a video captured by an investigator with the activist organization. It showed calves being physically harmed and allegedly revealed illegal drugs being grown and used on the farm.

The three men charged are: 31-year-old Santiago Ruvalcaba Contreros, 36-year-old Edgar Gardozo Vazquez and 38-year-old Miguel Angel Navarro Serrano.

The sheriff’s office says the investigation is ongoing.

Fair Oaks Farms co-founder Mike McCloskey responded to the ARM video saying he’s taking steps to prevent future abuse by installing cameras in spaces where employees and animals interact, and hiring an animal welfare specialist to help supervise the operation.

Samantha Horton is the All Things Considered newscaster and a reporter at WFYI. She is a graduate from University of Evansville with a bachelor’s degree in international studies, political science and communication where she also swam all four years. Samantha has worked as a reporter at WNIN in Evansville, Side Effects Public Media, Indiana Public Broadcasting and the Kansas News Service. In 2022 she was one of two fellows with the NPR Midwest Newsroom and Missouri Independent investigating elevated blood lead levels in children.
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