Animal Officers Examining Carcasses Found in Home’s Freezer

Orange County animal control officers Friday were examining the carcasses of 22 domestic animals found in the freezer of a Yorba Linda home earlier in the week to determine how they died.

The carcasses of 12 puppies, 2 cats, 6 kittens, a bird and a tortoise were found in the freezer at the home of Patricia Lynn Monte, 41, in the 5500 block of Tamarisk Drive late Wednesday night, Brea Police Detective Monica Anderson said.

Officers were called to the home on reports of child endangerment, Anderson said. When they checked the refrigerator to see whether the child was being properly fed, they discovered the carcasses.

20 Healthy Pets

Monte’s 11-year-old son was taken into protective custody and transferred to Orangewood, the county home for neglected and abused children. Anderson would not say who called police or why the child was removed. Monte was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and later released. Police said Monte did not explain why the dead animals were in the freezer.

Officers also found 20 animals--13 dogs and 7 cats--”all of which were in healthy condition,” Anderson said.

Orange County Animal Control Director Len Liberio said he is examining the carcasses to determine whether animal violations might be indicated, but he would not elaborate on the investigation.

There was no answer Friday afternoon at Monte’s home, a 5-bedroom house situated on a corner in a tract of well-kept ranch-style houses. The driveway was strewn with garbage, and a car there was covered with a tarpaulin held in place by bricks.

Neighbors said Friday that stray cats are common in the area but that they never noticed an unusual number of animals around Monte’s house.

“We take a walk every morning, and as we walked past her house on the sidewalk, we could hear the dogs barking,” said Bert Morrow, who, with his wife, Marian, has lived on Tamarisk for 28 years.

The Morrows said that Monte occasionally waved to them but that she usually kept to herself and rarely left the house. She has lived there for nearly 10 years with her two sons, they said, adding that the older son recently graduated from high school.

“Our grandson went to school with (Monte’s younger) boy a couple of years ago, but her boy looked fine--nothing for me to be alarmed about,” Marian Morrow said.

They added, however, that the younger boy was quiet and that he told people he was not allowed to talk to them.

“The poor little guy would come walking home from school all by himself, and he never had any friends over to play,” Bert Morrow said.

Another neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said, “I’ve never seen any dogs, cats or anything to indicate a pet at her house.”

County records show that Monte’s house is now under foreclosure. Department of Motor Vehicles records indicate that her driver’s license has been suspended because of financial responsibility for a recent car accident during which she did not have car insurance.