A Sunday morning walk on a Texas beach apparently led to the discovery of animal remains that appear to have been part of an animal sacrifice ceremony, authorities say.
KPRC-TV in Houston reports two headless goats, three chickens and a pigeon were discovered on the shore of Galveston Island Sunday morning.
Lt. Joel Caldwell with Galveston Police told the NBC affiliate that it appears the animals were killed as part of a Santeria animal sacrifice ceremony, and it's not the first time animal remains from a sacrifice ritual were found along the beach there.
Caldwell said those who left the remains on the beach may be ticketed for not disposing of them properly. And if they weren't sacrificed humanely, animal cruelty charges are possible, KPRC reported.
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Believers say animal sacrifices are an essential devotion in Santeria, which fuses elements of Roman Catholicism with the beliefs Yoruba slaves brought from Africa.
