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Two pet zebras, Zippy and Zena, were found shot on Feb. 22, 2014 at Sherrod Farms in Oneonta.

((Special to AL.com))

Timothy Wayne "Boogie" House

BLOUNT COUNTY, Alabama - Authorities have arrested a 22-year-old Bessemer man in the February slaying of two pet zebras on a family's Oneonta farm.

Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey announced the arrest Thursday afternoon. Timothy Wayne House Jr., who goes by the nickname "Boogie," is charged with two counts of aggravated animal abuse and two counts of second-degree criminal mischief.

House was indicted by a Blount County grand jury last week, Casey said. The district attorney said she couldn't release any additional information at this time because the investigation is ongoing and more arrests could follow.

The zebras, Zippy and Zena, were found shot on Feb. 22, 2014 at Sherrod Farms in Oneonta. Owners Cindy and Blake Sherrod said their son, Quint, made the grisly discovery after visiting the farm.

He found the two zebras dead. They had bullet holes and were bleeding from the mouth. A veterinarian confirmed they were shot.

The family has had zebras on the farm since 2000 after acquiring the original pair. The animals roamed about 20 acres in the front of the arm.

"It takes an evil person to hurt a human or an animal,'' Casey said in an earlier interview. "I just can't understand the concept of taking a firearm and shooting someone's pets and that's what you've done here."

House is being held in the Blount County Jail with bond set at $40,000. It was initially recorded as $200,000 but a Circuit Judge has since set the bond at $40,000.

Updated at 12 p.m. Friday to revise House's bond amount.

