DUCHESNE — A Herriman man is accused of traveling to Duchesne County and killing a llama that had recently given birth.
Jordan Blake Gomez, 33, was charged Monday in 8th District Court with wanton destruction of livestock, a third-degree felony.
On Friday, one of Gomez's relatives called police to say he "just showed up" and that Gomez told her "that he purchased a gun yesterday and a butcher kit, which he brought with him," according to a police booking affidavit. "(The relative) told me that she has no idea why Jordan would just show up at her house. She said that he shot the llama, which just had a baby this week. She said that without the mother llama, the baby would also die, and they cannot catch it.
"She said that when she spoke with Jordan about why he did this, he told her that he has been having a hard time and just felt like it and left with the llama," the affidavit states.
A Duchesne County sheriff's deputy responding to the call spotted Gomez on U.S. 40 and pulled him over.
"Upon approach of the vehicle, I observed the destroyed llama in the bed of the pickup," according to the affidavit. "He said that he has just been having a hard time lately because his wife left him and took their child."
The relative told the sheriff's office that Gomez "is a disabled vet with post-traumatic stress disorder," the affidavit states.
The deputy arrested Gomez after pulling him over and questioning him.
