LEDE:
Early on the morning of January 13, a bizarre incident unfolded at the Swine Unit on the campus of Pierce College, as reported by Deputy Steve Steggler from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s station(Steggler, 2023). The incident led to the arrest of William Wart, a 19-year-old Pierce agriculture student, while his roommate Tod Terror managed to escape.
Deputy Steggler’s report detailed the events that transpired at 4 a.m., when he noticed flashing lights near the Swine Unit during his routine patrol. Teaming up with Officer Peter Patter, they discovered two individuals, including Wart, inside the Swine Unit, herding pigs. The officers swiftly intervened, instructing the individuals to raise their hands. One of them, later identified as Wart, fled despite warning shots fired over his head. Wart was ultimately apprehended and identified, leading to his arrest on charges of grand theft. The other individual, Tod Terror, managed to evade capture and remains at large(Steggler, 2023).
Mick Sears, the chair of the agriculture department at Pierce College, revealed that both Wart and Terror were agriculture majors with aspirations of starting a farm together. Despite the circumstances, Sears expressed his belief that the incident might be a misunderstanding, suggesting that the intent of the two students might have been misconstrued(Sears, 2023).
Following up with the LAPD, Officer Helen Hart of the West Valley Division confirmed that police were actively seeking Tod Terror. Meanwhile, Wart was placed under arrest and booked on $5,000 bail. A preliminary hearing for Wart was scheduled for January 15(Officer Hart, 2023).
The incident raised questions about the motives behind the late-night encounter at the Swine Unit. As the investigation unfolds, authorities strive to uncover the truth behind the peculiar behavior of the two agriculture students and the circumstances surrounding the attempted theft of pigs and the subsequent escape of Tod Terror.
