A teen in Hawaii is facing a decade in prison for allegedly kidnapping and killing a pet pig to fool a hunting competition. The teen and a buddy allegedly tried to fool the committee judges to win a $1,000 cash prize.
Now, they're facing serious time behind bars. Jayden Jarnesky-Magana, 19, and Krys Ryan Saito-Carino, 20, could be in prison until nearly their 30s if found guilty. Police alleged that Jayden recruited Krys to steal a pet pig named Eddie from a farm in Maui last year. They then filmed their hunting dogs savagely mauling the pig as part of a fake hunting video.
From there, they killed Eddie and entered him in a local hunting contest. However, officials quickly caught onto the dupe. The pig was heavier than wild pigs typically are. Additionally, he had been neutered. Now, owner Sarah Haynes wants justice for her beloved pet pig.
"Nobody believed him," Haynes told KHON2. "Eddie was super friendly. Little kids could hug him, you know, he'd sit. You could get him to bark like a dog. I mean, he was just the most adorable, sweet, gentle soul."
Pet Pig Murdered
She had adopted the pig after finding the animal wounded with rope burns. Sarah hoped to give Eddie a better life.
"And you know, his life started with cruelty, and I was determined to make that go away for life. And, unfortunately it ended the same way it started, you know, with hunting dogs," she said.
Fast forward a few months, and authorities arrested both Jarnesky-Magana and Saito-Carino. They brought them up on charges of animal cruelty. Ultimately, Jarnesky-Magana chose a plea deal to avoid a decade in prison. He changed his plea to no contest. As a result, he managed to avoid a prison sentence spending one night in jail. A judge sentenced him to four years of probation.
"I think that that's appropriate. That that will teach you, hopefully deter you from engaging in any further criminal activity," said Circuit Court Judge Kirstin Hamman. "And I think it sends the proper message regarding the nature of the crime that was committed."
"I really hope that this is enough of a lesson to have him not just act appropriately but maybe think appropriately. And have some compassion and maybe take a look at what he's doing," said Haynes after the sentencing. "I'm glad that he left today in handcuffs and that he's at least getting some time."
Saito-Carino is also expected to change his plea to no contest.
