Person in Buckingham practicing Santeria leaves animal carcasses, skulls

Right now, dead animals and skulls are scattered all around Buckingham. Some neighbors said a family is practicing Santeria and attracting dangerous predators like alligators with the abandoned carcasses.

Judie Piccola has lived in a home rescuing dogs for nearly two decades. While Piccola is not afraid of being there, she said some of the neighbors are.

One of her neighbors spoke with WINK News while requesting anonymity.

“I have seen the people dancing around in the night and the day,” the woman said, “in white robes chanting.”

Her fear: people are practicing Santeria. Piccola said it is clear her new neighbors are sacrificing animals.

“It’s horrible; it’s gut-wrenching,” Piccola said. “You want to run over there and pull them away, but it’s too late.”

Piccola said it is not unusual for her to find animal carcasses and other remains in the neighborhood. For instance, a neighbor claims she recently found a skull the morning after a ritual. Another neighbor found chickens floating in the river and they said that attracts alligators.

“We don’t need to lure them here,” said the woman requesting anonymity. “They’re enough of them around as it is.”

But there is nothing they said they could do. Santeria is a protected religion.

“It’s not the religion part,” Piccola said. “You can practice any religion you want; but, I can’t abide killing an animal just for sacrifice.”

And looming alligators is not good, either.

“That’s a shame,” the woman said. “The neighbors just have to worry and wonder.”

Also requesting anonymity, a man in the neighborhood admitted he practices Santeria. He denied being the cause of the dead animals because he eats them after slaughtering them. Now he wonders if someone else is practicing Santeria in Buckingham, too.