Gwinnett Goat Force Fed Cocaine And Whiskey, Man Arrested

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — One man has been arrested and two remain unidentified after the Gwinnett County Sheriff's deputies received a disturbing video from a tipster reportedly showing two men force feeding a goat cocaine and whiskey.

Horse trainer Sergio Palomares-Guzman, 28, was arrested Monday at 250 Grayson New Hope Road in Grayson, where he lived and worked. Palomares-Guzman was taken into custody by sheriff’s investigators and taken to the Gwinnett County Jail. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been notified.

He is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals after sheriff’s investigators viewed a video featuring Palomares-Guzman holding the goat’s horns while a second man inserted cocaine into the goat’s nostril. Palomares-Guzman then forced the goat’s mouth open while the second man poured whiskey into the goat’s mouth.

Palomares-Guzman began sharing the video, which ultimately prompted a tipster to notify authorities of the alleged abuse. The second male suspect and a third male seen in the video remain unidentified. They are believed to live in North Carolina. The owner of the ranch, who is also Palomares-Guzman’s employer, had no knowledge of the incident, according to police. Palomares-Guzman told police the incident took place on Jan. 2.

The goat was safely taken to the Gwinnett Animal Shelter, where he received a veterinary exam and was given a clean bill of health. Palomares-Guzman waived ownership and the goat was made available for adoption.

The sheriff's office announced Saturday that the goat had been adopted.

"We appreciate everyone’s interest and are glad that this guy has a forever home where he’ll be treated with the respect that he deserves," reads a Facebook post from Saturday by the sheriff's office.

"It's hard to imagine how anyone can harm an innocent animal, but it happens every day," reads an earlier post. "It's up to us to seize every opportunity we're given to stop it, which is exactly what our sheriff's investigators did when this disturbing video was brought to their attention."

Photo courtesy Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department