Advertisement Santa Cruz man killed opossum with bleach at pizza parlor, shelter says Share Shares Copy Link Copy

When a Santa Cruz pizza parlor chef claimed he quit his job because he discovered a coworker killing a baby opossum, the story was so strange some questioned if it really happened.On Friday, officers with the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter said their investigation and necropsy on the dead opossum determined that chef Dany Pena's story was partially true.A veterinarian determined the 6-month-old female opossum's cause of death was pneumonia caused by being doused in bleach. The Santa Cruz Police Department assisted the shelter with investigating. Police arrested Alan Thomas Rockwood, 31, of Santa Cruz, on Thursday and charged him with one count of animal cruelty. Rockwood was released and not booked into jail. Animal Control Officer Todd Stosuy said that Rockwood, "admitted he had made a mistake, and he gave a full confession. He was very remorseful for his actions."The opossum incident happened on Oct. 4 at South Beach Pizza Company at 303 Beach St. Thirty-five-year-old Pena said he arrived at work and was mortified when he saw an opossum being tortured. "Alan Thomas Rockwood allegedly poured bleach on the opossum in an attempt to kill the animal that was trapped in a trash can," Stosuy said. Pena quit his job and tried to save the young furry animal by driving it to Native Animal Rescue in Live Oak. The opossum died soon after.The marsupial's demise made headlines in newspapers as far away as New York City and London.There was one part of Pena's story that investigators did not confirm as true. Pena previously told Bay Area news outlets that his boss had ordered the employee to use bleach. When South Beach Pizza Company's owner was interviewed by KSBW on Friday, he said Pena was a disgruntled employee who intentionally used the opossum to tarnish his pizza parlor's reputation.South Beach Pizza Company's phone has been ringing off the hook this week with angry callers making death threats, the owner said. The owner said Pena's accusation against him was ridiculous because opossums are often found around the restaurant and are simply shooed away.Stosuy confirmed that the owner had nothing to do with the opossum's death. "There was no criminal act committed on behalf of the pizza company's owners," Stosuy said. He added, "There are some credibility issues with Mr. Pena."Stosuy said the community should remember that, just likes dogs, birds, and cats, every animal has a right to live. There is also a state law, Penal Code 597, which outlaws inhuman treatment of animals.The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter recommends residents who have wild animals that they feel are a nuisance to contact Humane Wildlife Control at 1-855-548-6263. The SCCAS also has tips for coexisting with wildlife here.The National Association of Advancement for Opossums admits that these animals are not beloved by many."The oft-maligned marsupial definitely suffers from an image problem. It is frequently perceived more as a giant, dirty, scavenging rat rather than a cute creature of the wild. But whether you love them or hate them, North America’s only marsupial has a set of unique characteristics," the association wrote.10 Facts: Click here to learn about opossumsVideo: Portraits of elusive nocturnal animals