Two Lincoln teens jailed in shooting of animals

A dog, a baby bull and two other animals are dead following what Placer County sheriff's officials say was a "brazen" killing spree by two teenagers in rural Lincoln.

Timothy Schulz and Collin Lovejoy, both 18-year-old Lincoln residents, were arrested Saturday. In addition to the dog and bull calf, a goat and a chicken were killed and another dog and a goat were wounded by rifle shots, the Sheriff's Department said.

The two suspects also allegedly shot out the lights in the driveways of at least four homes, said Detective Jim Hudson.

"This appears to have started as benign shootings of street signs and ended up with the aggressive hunting of livestock and pets," Hudson said.

He said the shooting of the lights at homes was of concern to investigators because the incidents "could have escalated either accidentally or on purpose" to the harming of a human being.

Schulz and Lovejoy were booked into the Placer County jail on suspicion of felony cruelty to animals, firing a weapon from a moving vehicle, conspiracy to commit a felony and vandalism.

Hudson said Lovejoy has been absent without leave from the U.S. Marine Corps for two weeks.

"He had just finished boot camp and failed to show up for his next training assignment," the detective said.

Hudson said officers are still investigating whether any more animals may have been killed or wounded and whether any other suspects participated in shootings.

He said the shootings began at about 11 a.m. Friday near Wise and Mount Vernon roads east of Lincoln and continued on other roads within a two-mile radius.

Deputies Daniel Meier and Ryan West spent Friday night and Saturday knocking on doors in the area trying to pick up information, Hudson said.

Meier said he and West learned that a red-over-black pickup truck was seen in the area at the time of the shootings.

"We were told that someone pointed a rifle out the window of the truck and took three to five shots at each location," Meier said.

The deputy called the shootings "brazen" because they occurred in the daytime when children and adults may have been present in the areas.

On Saturday, the two deputies returned to the area and discovered a dead bull calf at the corner of Wise and Gold Hill roads.

"We found a bullet hole in the bull's head," Meier said.

Hudson described the bull as between 5 and 8 months old and weighing 400 to 500 pounds.

Several ranchers told investigators that they had moved their livestock to the back of their properties to avoid snipers' bullets, Hudson said.

Deputies also began to receive reports Saturday about lights having been shot out in the driveways of homes.

Meier said he stopped a truck that was similar in description to the one reported by witnesses.

"It wasn't the one we were looking for," he said. "But the occupants were aware of the incidents and they told me the names of the suspects."

Hudson and fellow Detective Rick Harroun went to the homes of Schulz and Lovejoy, questioned them and made the arrests.

A bolt-action .22-caliber Marlin rifle was discovered at Schulz's home, Hudson said.

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