What started as a New Year's Eve spray of bullets over a Scappoose neighborhood has now collided with a disturbing animal neglect case, according to newly filed court documents. Investigators say a man accused of emptying multiple handgun magazines into the air is also tied to a search that turned up dead and badly neglected tortoises and turtles at a nearby home. Two adults were arrested, and court records say three children were in the home during some of the incidents.
How The Probe Began
Neighbors on Northwest Manor Drive called police on Dec. 31 after explosions and gunfire shook the area, prompting an investigation. A 15-year-old at the house told investigators that Daniel Salvey was intoxicated and fired a handgun into the air, according to an affidavit. Another witness said Salvey "emptied multiple magazines" and at one point had the gun angled toward Highway 30. The affidavit also alleges that a 9-year-old fired a pistol into the air, details outlined by KGW.
What Officers Found At The House
On Jan. 14, officers executed a search warrant at a home on Northwest Manor Drive and reported finding two dead tortoises on the back porch and two live turtles in an aquarium. Authorities say the surviving turtles showed signs of pyramiding and severe shell damage, and one tortoise had an overgrown beak that requires trimming. Columbia County Animal Control took custody of the surviving animals and sought a reptile specialist to care for them, according to Your Oregon News.
Arrests And What'S Alleged
Scappoose police arrested 45-year-old Daniel Salvey on charges that include unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of firearms, recklessly endangering another person and second-degree disorderly conduct, according to court filings. Also arrested was 43-year-old Kasey Satchell, who faces two counts each of first-degree and second-degree animal neglect.
Court records show Salvey has prior misdemeanor convictions, including multiple DUIIs, and that his concealed handgun license was revoked in May 2025. The affidavit states he admitted firing into the air and told officers "this was a bad idea," as reported by KGW.
Legal Context
Under the Oregon Legislature, first-degree animal neglect (ORS 167.330) applies when failing to provide minimum care leads to serious physical injury or death. Second-degree animal neglect (ORS 167.325) covers failures to provide minimum care even when the harm is less severe. Those statutes allow courts to increase penalties in cases involving prior convictions, larger numbers of animals or neglect that happens in front of minors.
Unlawful use of a weapon, including discharging a firearm in a residential area, falls under ORS 166.220. As summarized by FindLaw, unlawful use of a weapon can be charged as a felony in many situations.
Neighbors And Animal-Care Details
Neighbors described the New Year's Eve blasts as sounding "like a landmine went off" and reported "huge explosive fireworks" that rattled nearby homes, the affidavit states. Investigators and a reptile expert noted pyramiding shells consistent with malnutrition in the surviving animals.
Satchell told police she acquired the tortoises online and tried to medicate one of them with an expired prescription that had originally been for a child, according to Your Oregon News. One tortoise reportedly died on Jan. 10, and officers say Satchell was already barred from possessing turtles or tortoises under her conditional release.
Columbia County authorities say the investigation remains active. Prosecutors are expected to review the affidavit and other evidence before making any formal filing decisions. The surviving reptiles are receiving veterinary treatment, and the search warrant remains part of the public court record as the case moves forward.
