JACKSON TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA, USA, May 2, 2016 (Morning Call): A Tannersville couple allegedly dumped a severed cow head at a Hindu man’s property in Jackson Township hoping it would scare the victim into moving away, according to court records.
Ricky Strausser, 25, and Kimberly Ann McKee, 19, both of Tannersville, allegedly committed the hate crime in March after attending a gathering of residents who were angry with Dr. Sansar Sastri, who runs Lakshmi Cow Sanctuary from his 90-acre property on Possinger Drive, records show. Besides ethnic intimidation, Strausser and McKee were also charged with harassment, loitering and prowling at night, criminal trespassing, disorderly conduct, scattering rubbish and criminal conspiracy.
Sastri told police he began living on the property about a month. The property is also used as a sanctuary that houses 20 cows that had been rescued from abuse and slaughter. Signs outside also identify the property as a sanctuary. He said he had talked to his neighbors about his religion and the protection of the cows and learned that many did not agree with his beliefs. He said some of his neighbors own cows for slaughter [the source of the severed head].