A noisy backyard rooster that kept waking up a Scotrun man is now at the center of a criminal case in Pocono Township. Police say 63-year-old Raymond Zelyez drove past his neighbor’s home, stepped out of his truck and shot the bird on July 21 because he was tired of it disturbing his sleep. Officers arrested Zelyez that same day and charged him with aggravated cruelty to animals and recklessly endangering another person. The rooster was killed on its owner’s property, and court records list a preliminary hearing for Thursday.
Police: Neighbor admitted to pulling the trigger
In a news release from the Pocono Township Police Department, officers said they were called to a home on Beaver Trail in Scotrun around 2 p.m. on July 21 after the rooster’s owner reported the bird had been shot. Investigators identified Zelyez as a possible suspect and reviewed surveillance video that showed a truck matching his driving past the property shortly before the shooting. When officers later interviewed him, Zelyez admitted getting out of his truck and firing a shot because he was “tired of it waking him up,” according to the release. Police say he left the scene and was later taken into custody.
Charges filed and hearing on the calendar
Zelyez was booked on counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and recklessly endangering another person, according to CBS Pittsburgh. The reckless-endangerment charge reflects police allegations that he fired a gun in a residential neighborhood where homes were occupied. Online court dockets cited by the outlet show Zelyez is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday, which will be his next appearance in the case.
Surveillance video and interview at center of case
NBC10 Philadelphia reports that investigators relied on surveillance footage that captured a truck traveling past the property shortly before the shot was fired. Officers later located Zelyez, interviewed him and obtained his acknowledgment that he fired the shot and then left, the station notes. Beyond that admission and the video, police have not publicly released additional narrative details about what happened before or after the gun was discharged.
How Pennsylvania law treats the allegations
Under Pennsylvania law, aggravated cruelty to animals is a felony of the third degree. The statute covers intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing serious bodily injury or death to an animal, and it appears in the criminal code at 18 Pa.C.S. § 5534. The second charge, recklessly endangering another person, is classified as a misdemeanor of the second degree and is defined at 18 Pa.C.S. § 2705. The grading of the offenses sets the maximum potential penalties that a judge could impose if there is a conviction.
What happens next in the rooster shooting case
Thursday’s preliminary hearing will determine whether there is enough evidence for the charges against Zelyez to move forward. At that stage, a judge decides whether to hold the case for trial or allow prosecutors and defense attorneys to enter plea negotiations. For now, local reports indicate the investigation is focused on the home surveillance footage and Zelyez’s statements to police. Officials have not released further details about the neighbors, the history of the complaints or any additional evidence they may present in court.
