SUNBURY — Vandals struck a Sunbury mink farm for the second time in a little more than a year late Friday, releasing 500 to 900 mink. Unlike the previous incident, two people have been charged, according to Northumberland County District Attorney Mike O’Donnell.
Police have charged Christopher Legere, 25, and Cara Mitrano, 27, both of Massachusetts, according to law enforcement personnel. They are being held in Northumberland County Jail awaiting arraignment. Legere and Mitrano have been charged with agricultural vandalism, criminal mischief, damage to property, theft of unlawful taking, cruelty to animals, burglary and criminal trespass.
Both were arraigned in front of on-call Shamokin District Judge Bill Zalinski and sent to jail in lieu of $150,000 cash.
O’Donnell would not say if the people arrested were connected to last year’s release.
According to court documents, state police were called at around 12:58 a.m. Saturday morning saying two people were inside the Richard H. Stahl Sons Inc., fur farm, just outside of Sunbury, and were releasing the animals.
Troopers arrived and spoke with Stahl who was inside the farm securing the animals, according to court documents.
Legere and Mitrano were picked up in Ralpho Township about 15 miles away after troopers said they were able to track a license plate, and Ralpho Township police spotted the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop.
Troopers said Stahl said the pens were destroyed and the released mink will either catch a disease or left to die of starvation or be killed on roadways and other wild animals since they had been released.
Stahl said the mink are worth about $50 each, according to court documents.
In the September 2023 incident, Joseph Buddenberg, a press officer with the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, said he believed the farm was targeted. According to the website, animalliberationpressoffice.org, an anonymous letter was posted to the site claiming responsibility for the attack.
Buddenberg said he did not know who posted the message, but said he believed last year’s alleged attack was planned. A video, which is on the site and YouTube, also shows a 25-second clip of a person allegedly walking through the mink farm. A reward was offered, and Buddenberg emailed The Daily Item saying, “The Animal Liberation Front will not be stopped by Fur Commission USA’s reward,” he said.
Last year people came from all over to help trap the minks. Some animals were struck by vehicles along Route 890, where the farm is located.
Legere and Mitrano will now appear before Sunbury District Judge Rachel Wiest Benner for a preliminary hearing at a later date.