According to the affidavit, the 17-year-old also searched how much bleach could kill a goat and how to clear her search history.
CEDAR PARK, Texas — A Cedar Park teenager has been charged after she allegedly poisoned a classmate’s goat on purpose.
The incident happened around back in October at the Vista Ridge High School barn before being discovered several days later on security video. Now a 17-year-old is facing felony charges ahead of her January court date.
According to an affidavit, Aubrey Layne Vanlandingham forced the goat to drink pesticide at her school’s barn. Video allegedly shows Vanlandingham grabbing supplies and walking to the goat pens while holding a syringe-like item.
She then allegedly straddles the goat before forcing the syringe into the goat’s mouth while it tries to escape. She let the goat go before using the item on the animal two more times and placing the item back on the shelf. In the video, Vanlandingham allegedly returned twice throughout the day to check on the victim’s goat.
Investigators who watched the footage said it appeared she took photos and videos of the goat while also making a phone call.
That day, the goat was taken to a veterinary clinic in Dripping Springs after suffering from coughing, shaking and diarrhea. Tests couldn’t identify what was wrong with the goat. The next day, the goat was brought in again by a teacher and pronounced deceased.
According to the affidavit, a doctor who performed a necropsy on the goat said “the smell of pesticide permeated the room” after opening the goat’s stomach. The owner of the goat said Vanlandingham sent her family a video of the goat, saying it wasn’t acting right.
When Vanlandingham was interviewed about the incident, she initially denied giving the goat any pesticides before telling authorities that her classmate was a “cheater” and that she “doesn’t like cheaters.” The affidavit says she also admitted that she tried to feed the goat pesticide and inject it into the goat’s mouth before the incident.
After obtaining a search warrant for Vanlandingham’s phone, authorities allegedly found that she searched how to poison pets, “how much bleach can kill an animal,” and how to clear her search history.
Salma Diaz lives a block away from the school barn and is also a Vista Ridge High School graduate. She said she hears the animals all the time and that “you’d think they’re having a good life there.”
According to Diaz, being in the Future Farmers of America program was popular back when she was in school. She said it’s a tradition for some families that spans generations, and that people take it seriously there.
But when Diaz heard the news about Vanlandingham on social media, she thought the act was heartless.
“It was very shocking to hear what happened there because, especially when you’re in that program, you’re supposed to have such a love for animals,” Diaz said.
KVUE reached out to Leander ISD to see if Vanlandingham is still attending Vista Ridge High School, but did not get a response. Meanwhile, Vanlandingham has been charged with felony torture of a livestock animal.