Sacrificing Shaman

 Self described 'Doctor,' Emilio Otero was a resident of New Jersey USA ......

Raid On New Jersey Property Where Animals Sacrificed.

.... he was also apparently a follower of the Santeria religion (Way of the Saints), so beloved of the Drug Cartels of South America (and increasingly of the USA).

So, it was perhaps no great surprise when, following a tip off from the landlady that he was keeping and sacrificing animals in Santeria rituals, the Police and Environmental Health Officers raided his rented three bedroom apartment in August 2021. Inside they found 22 animals in the apartment. These animals included "seven to nine goats", a number of chickens, and a dead pigeon nailed above a door.

There were also five dead chickens with their throats cut laying in a pile. When questioned about the farm menagerie and the dead animals, Otero denied it was anything to do with Santeria rituals (although how he explained a dead pigeon, nailed to the wall above the door is not reported), but rather that he killed the animals legally for food (again who would kill five chickens in one go?) saying that “Its legal, legally (in) the United States … you respect the religion.”

He also said to reporters that he is some sort of religious doctor to reporters claiming that “I help people with cancer, ladies that not pregnant, people with psoriasis.” .... i.e. a voodoo shaman faith healer of some kind (but no sacrifices for Santeria, oh no).

However, whether or not the police believed him, was irrelevant, as the environmental health officers simply pointed out that "Jersey City ... prohibits residents from keeping farm animals, livestock, in the city limits. As the investigation goes on, (Otero) could face per count — not sure how many counts — but per count issued by my inspectors it could be $2,000 and 90 days in jail.”

The landlady, Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez, a serving naval sailor just returned from an overseas tour told the press at the time that says she couldn’t evict him because of the COVID-19 eviction moratorium even though he had has not paid rent since May 2021, and described the situation as a “nightmare” to NBC. She told them that "I come from humble beginnings. I served this country, I purchased this house, I live on the same block and I wanted to get an investment property, and this is what this has turned into." She believes that all sorts of animals — goats, pigeons, chickens and possibly more were being sacrificed on her property.

The live animals were carried to waiting Animal Response vans outside the home, and the dead ones were taken out to rendering trucks .... sadly as is often the case, I could find no follow up on whether he was finally evicted by the long suffering landlady, or fined by the city. 

But I did find reference to a 34-year-old Emilio Otero-Perez, of Jersey City, NJ, being arrested on the 9th, of May 2024, by the Guttenberg Police Department’s Patrol Division, New Jersey at 400 block of 68th Street, after receiving a report of a male and female engaged in a dispute. But after discovering that he had an active warrant issued by the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, he was arrested at the scene of the altercation. 

Additionally, officers uncovered that Mr. Otero-Perez was in possession of a full-metal jacket bullet without possessing a firearms identification card, and in possession of a pipe believed to be used to ingest crack cocaine. Mr. Otero-Perez was then transported to the Guttenberg Police Department for his arrest processing, where he was charged with the unlawful possession of handgun ammunition [2C:58-3.3] and the possession of drug paraphernalia [2C:36-2A]. Upon the completion of his arrest processing, Mr. Otero-Perez was issued his complaint warrant and lodged in the Hudson County Correctional Centre. 

Whether this is the same gentleman or not, I am unable to confirm.