SAC CITY, Iowa — A woman was arrested this week after 1,000 pigs were found dead in northwest Iowa, the Sac County Sheriff's Office said Thursday afternoon.
Elana May Laber, 33, was charged with two counts of criminal mischief and two counts of livestock neglect.
The charges come after law enforcement responded to reports that more than 1,000 dead pigs were discovered between two hog confinement sites on Thursday.
The pigs were owned by Corey AGR Inc., from Lytton, Iowa. The estimated loss is more than $150,000. During the investigation, officials interviewed Laber, who is employed to maintain both sites.
The sheriff's office said Laber originally told law enforcement that someone had shut off the electric breakers the night before, causing the death of the pigs. However, a veterinarian determined the pigs had been dead for at least a week.
Laber later told law enforcement she had been aware the pigs were dead, but did not know what to do.
"The pigs were in different stages of decomposition. They had no access to feed or water," the sheriff's office added.
FROM NOVEMBER 2021: Semi carrying 100 pigs tips over along Highway 65 in Story County