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Nipomo man charged with illegal pig butchering

June 22, 2012

A Nipomo man is charged with illegally butchering pigs at his home on the 1400 block of Camino Caballo.

Mariscal Amezcua, 62, is a facing five counts of violating the California Food and Agriculture Code.

The former Santa Maria High School government and Mexican traditional dance teacher is accused of not having a license and butchering pigs in unsanitary conditions with dirty tools.

Before 1980, the five-acre ranch was a licensed hog slaughter-house. And even though the license expired, investigators said he continued to sell as many as 48 pigs per month to members of the public who line up to buy pork and pig’s blood.

Unlicensed and not overseen by FDA inspectors, Amezcua dumped portions of the carcasses around his property. The innards and skins either rotted or were eaten by dogs, wild animals, and birds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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Does anyone believe he didn’t know he had to have these pigs butchered at a U.S.D.A approved slaughter house.


Talk about unfair competition, Anyone trying to treat pigs humanely and care about the quality of meat produced can’t compete.


What about paying taxes? Do you think he knows about that? Do you think he has filed? I’m going to forward this article to the I.R.S. tip line.


Why is the country is so much trouble. People like him that don’t want to play on a level playing field like everyone else, those who try to take all the benefits that the government and taxpayers can provide and give nothing back in return.


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Unfair competition? I’m sure Oscar Myer is shaking in their boots worrying about small pirate operations like this guy, LOL

Inhumane treatment? you got to be kidding! Just Google that, you will find HUNDREDS of cases of animal abuse being prosecuted at USDA approved slaughterhouses.Try to find just ONE from a small producer.

Paying Taxes? Just what do you think he did with that money? Ship it off to some island like some rich politician? Did he pay property taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes just like the rest of us? Yes probably. And the income probably fell below a taxable level for income taxes. I’d say if you want to point a finger at people that don’t pay their fair share look at the one to two percent of Americans that own 80 to 90 percent of the wealth.


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As a small farmer I do sell pork. I have to jump through all the rules and regs that the big guys do even though I am I small operator. This costs me much more than the big guys who can spread this cost throughout their operation, and the people who don’t follow the law, who ignore all the laws of the land. I treat all the animals I raise humanely, and give them the best and most natural food available.


I can tell you without a doubt, just by looking at the photos, that this person is not running a humane operation.


Your other arguments:


Yes, I believe USDA slaughterhouses have problems, but many small producer’s are guilty of as bad or worse. You google it!


That is where my business comes from. I invite people onto my farm and show them exactly how the animals are treated, and even slaughtered if they so choose. I believe in complete transparancy, because my business is built on trust. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would buy from this person after seeing the photos.


No, I don’t think he shipped his money offshore. I think it was a cash basis business, and he didn’t report it. We are going to find out however.


Finally, you want to talk about the 1%? All you want to do is muddy the waters on what should be a simply case of neglect for the law and the animals. How about sticking up for people that follow the law, pay taxes and try to live happy lives, while trying to be honest and earn a decent living?


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Just one other point. You say he a “small pirate operation”. It was reported elsewhere that he was butchering up to 30 pigs a month. This is a very large operation for one individiual, and I am sure he was not doing it by himself.


My guesstimate is that he could make between $150 – $200 for a full grown pig. His income could be as high as $6,000 a month. I would think a lot of that income would be taxable. Sure hope he has filed recently!


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Blood is also used to make Sangre, a blood based soup in Mexican culture. My family used to have big cook outs with whole pigs and Sangre. It’s OK, a little too spicy for me though.

I seem to remember there was a place in Templeton (Atascadero?) that was doing much the same as this guy but with cattle.

Seems to me he went ahead and got the county permits and got his business legal. Not sure what that cost or if he’s still in business though.

This operation is a result of the loss of the neighborhood butcher shop, which one used to be able to take a live pig, steer, goat, etc… and have it dressed out for them. Of course those days are long gone, but it hasn’t been that long ago that there were small butcher shops that would buy their pigs and steer and butcher them to sell them in the store. Or would dress out and package a deer for you.

Selling 48 hogs a month is pretty good money, considering he maybe got 100 pounds of meat to sell with each one. At $4-$5 a pound that’s some good tax-free coin. He better hope the IRS doesn’t take an interest in his little underground business.

I would guess it doesn’t matter whether anyone ever got sick from his meat, the fact that he doesn’t have the permits etc… makes him guilty. Like being caught with an expired driver’s license. You either have the necessary paperwork or you don’t. No excuses allowed.

I can only imagine how far this place is out of compliance with modern standards, after 20 years with no inspections and the laws being changed all the time. Figure this guy is shut down forever.


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How many people got sick from his pigs? I bought a pig for a bbq some 23 years ago from him and it was great. I guess our DA’s office is getting a little slow. Stick it county ag!


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You have more chance of getting sick from pig pathogens than from most other animals because pigs can amazingly easily pass pathogens (such as viruses and bacteria) to humans.


That’s why, for years and years, they used to use pig heart valves to replace heart valves in people whose valves were failing.


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Just think of all those tape worms and bacteria. This to me is senseless and stupid beyond belief .. I think he is just having fun killing.


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I don’t know about you, but I like to know someone is inspecting the way meat is butchered and stored before it is sold to those of us in the public. The real problem here is that the open sales of these pork products has been going on since 1980 with no inspections. The pictures say a lot. Most folks wouldn’t want to buy from a guy with rotting carcasses and entrails out behind the “store.”


Whether the practices of this particular pig farm fell to the level that they appear to be now right after the license expired, or have degraded over time because no one was dropping by to inspect is a question that probably can not be answered.


Sausage anyone?


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Believe with all your might but the truth may cause you concern.”According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the FDA currently “has the capacity to inspect only 1% of food at the U.S. border.” Domestically, according to Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives for Consumers Union, the “FDA inspects U.S. food production facilities only about once every ten years on average.”


Read more: Percentage of Food Inspected by the FDA | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5548011_percentage-food-inspected-fda.html#ixzz1yb1rbayX”

Is there any reported illness from this guy? Not that I can find. I’d probably trust him more than Safeway.


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Also, think about this. If you do get sick eating a small suppliers meat your doctor or you can point with certainty with almost no hesitation where the contamination came from. Now compare that scenario with getting sick from a plastic wrapped cut from the big box store. hundreds of people effected, huge recalls enacted, millions in lost revenue. The FDA is a sham.


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I’m not sure what the story is.


A guy ran afoul of a top-heavy bureaucracy. Big whoop.


I guess it’s a little bit saucy since it involves death, but how different is it from returning to work after restroom use without washing your hands?


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Yeah…or people getting sick and dying from E-Coli….. mostly worthless OLD people and unproductive children.


Like you put it: BIG WHOOP !


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I will wager that more people will die of contaminated food from FDA approved facilities than all of the pirate farmers combined.


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More people die every year from side effects of prescribed meds than from overdoses of all illicit drugs, in the USA.


More people die of treatable infections and viruses in hospitals in the US, than all others of communicable diseases outside of hospitals in the USA combined.


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Is you mom and dad worthless? Or your grandma and grandpa? I guess I should adopt you and bring some happiness into your life. Could happen. Just hold out your arms Jesus and I will hug you til you smile all the way from the inside.


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Nipomo is kind of a touchy area when it comes to outbreaks of illnesses.


The reason the Nipomo Community Services District was started was because some of the folks who lived there did not locate/maintain/construct their septic tanks and wells in a safe manner. The result is the water became contaminated and there was an outbreak of typhus (typhoid fever).


http://ncsd.ca.gov/cm/About_Us/Our_History.html


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Ever heard of trichinosis?


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001655/


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It’s a health-code violations. Health codes are in place to protect the health of people.


We don’t know how many people have become ill from consuming “back-yard butchered” meat they purchased from an unlicensed butcher/seller.


Some people raise and butcher their own meat for their own consumption. If the process is done safely and humanely, from start to consumption, it is likely to be certainly more humane than that in the commercial meat-production industry, and may be more healthy and carry less disease risk.


However, it is illegal for unlicensed butchering and sales to go on in San Luis Obispo County.


I have relatives in Arkansas. My elderly aunt and uncle still raise a couple of calves to size each year. However, they are not physically able to slaughter and dress their own meat anymore. So they have a licensed butcher come out to their place to do it for them.


This may be an answer to this issue of folks still wanting to consume meat but having issues with the conditions the animal has to suffer before it is butchered, and the inhumane way it is slaughtered. It would also mean the owner of the animals to be slaughtered would be restricted to it being for their own private use, and they would be responsible for storing the meat properly until it is consumed.


This could be a whole new industry in California, and if people who wanted to raise and have animals butchered on their property for later consumption by the owner, were also required to take a short safety course on public-health issues related to the raising, butchering of the animals, and storage of the meat.


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People lined up to buy pigs’ BLOOD?!! What the #*$#? Is that a cultural thing or what?! ick.


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If you’re ever in New Orleans, you’d better stay clear of Boudin Rouge.


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I think you mean Boudin Noir blood sausage, It’s also available at most Mexican meat stores (and yes, it is delicious)


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They sell both in N.O. The noir is darker and uses more blood with other ingredients.


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Next time I’m in the Big Easy…… Now I’m hungry!


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Kill the pigs! please, even vegetarians should kill the pigs!

Life,Death and Boardom


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Here is a nice recipe:http://honest-food.net/2009/03/16/repaying-a-debt-in-blood-sausage/


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Sounds like a cult thing.


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Not liking blood sausage is more of a cult thing, almost every nation on earth has it’s own favorite recipe (Excepting Muslim and Jewish ones of course)


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Based on your statement, since Muslims and Jewish nations do not have blood sausage recipes, are they considered cults?


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To tell you the truth, no. There is only one true cult, and that’s a cargo cult.

When a normally reasonable group of people start erecting structures in order to attract mana or favors from deities that have no reason to be worshiped at all.


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I’m with you PP5 but then, I can’t even handle watching someone cut into a fat rare steak and watch the pink blood flow out, let alone watching them chew on it!


I had a friend who went on some sort of 3 day guided jungle tour in Mexico. He said the guide provided all the food and part of the food was to take along a live goat. On the first night, the goat was hung up and it’s throat was cut. The blood was collected and allowed to congeal. It was then cut like a piece of pie and fed to the tour group. Many had a literal fit and refused to eat it. The guide then whipped up some powdered eggs for their breakfast and they ate the goat for dinner later that day.


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I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the Poor White Trash Cookbook, but it is fascinating. My favorite recipe is Rack of Spam. You take a can of spam, cut it cross-ways almost all the way through, fan it out, put canned pineapple slices between the fan parts, then pack some brown sugar on it and put a few maraschino cherries. Then bake it.


There is also a recipe for Christmas Possum. The secret is you have to catch your possum a month ahead of Christmas, keep it confined, and feed it corn, cornbread, etc., to make the meat a little more palatable.


Then you butcher it, stuff it and eat it.


I had to laugh because if I had a possum for a month, its name would be “Fred” and he’d be a family pet.


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It used to be very common in Arkansas. If a family butchered an animal and didn’t use the blood themselves, there was always another family that would come and collect the blood. They made blood sausage.


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Can’t the authorities charge him with sooey-cide ?


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D’oh.


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Good one. Funny of the day.


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What kind of swine nega-trolls would give this a thumbs down ?


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To answer my own question… the same COWARDS that hit NEG, then RUN FOR THE HILLS like Chicken Little !

They NEVER engage. At least they are somewhat aware of their total inadequacy in intellectual jousting.

These are the cyber versions of snipers.


You DO know what happens to snipers that are discovered?


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Intellectual? Don’t pride yourself. Stupid snippets do not show intellectualism.


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I guess you’ve never heard of H.L. Mencken, James Thurber, Ogden Nash, or Gore Vidal then.


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I have and your attempts are quite pale in comparison to those that you mention.


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Leave my Albino heritage OUT of this, PLEASE !


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While yours are quite obviously opaquely obtuse.


You attempt, and fail. I prevail. Always do.


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You can always tell a ‘conservative’ , but you can’t tell him much.


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They get snippy?


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Pfffft. I hadn’t even clicked one way or the other on your post, but once I saw you being so pi$$y about it, I clicked a thumbs down.


I mean, really. Let’s not wallow in superficiality here. Who cares if you get a click up or down? Sheesh.


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Seven Negative Nancy’s ? How droll…


OH TEN ( count ’em TEN …Negatoray cowards that slink like snakes back to their nether regions that I term Nega-Trolls .

Ten humorless jerks…Yeah, that’s about average in a 50,000 hometown. )


I challenge these nitwits. I could have BOTH ARMS tied behind my back and still defeat these intellectual dirtwads !


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Seen this may times but in Mexico. Times change and traditional methods need to change or suffer current health and safety codes. I can’t understand why this person would not dispose of the unused remains properly? Those piles of parts and what they can breed is a bit disturbing. I hope it all works out and those that like this tradition have a source to buy pork legally.


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It’s all about the tax-free income. 48 pigs a month must’ve brought him some nice, steady cash. He didn’t want to fuss with pesky regulations like the rest of us have to. It was easier to turn his property into a dumping ground. Someone finally ratted him out. Can you imagine being one of the crew who has to clean up those disgusting remains? Yuck.


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This isn’t Mexico…yet.


He stated on KSBY that the DA has said once he gets the proper licensing, they will drop the charges.


I think this guy has caused more concern for health and safety than DeVaul ever did…


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I know it sure isn’t. Mexico is still a relatively free country :)


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His pigs never got anyone sick.


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How do you know that if it was unregulated?


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I never got sick.


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This is so disqusting… Hard to make a statement and who would pay from this man???


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Selling blood. Culture or cult? You decide.


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If you only knew what went into half the food America eats…


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