Donkey Charged With Assault, Jailed in Mexican Prison
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
A donkey is doing time in southern Mexico for assault and battery.
The animal was locked up at a local jail that normally holds people for public drunkenness and other disturbances after it bit and kicked two men near a ranch in Chiapas state, police said Monday.
Officer Sinar Gomez said the donkey will remain behind bars until its owner agrees to pay the men's medical bills.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"Around here, if someone commits a crime they are jailed," Gomez said — "no matter who they are."
The owner, Mauro Gutierrez, told The Associated Press he would try to reach a friendly arrangement to pay the men's bills, estimated at $420.
The victims said the donkey bit Genaro Vazquez, 63, in the chest on Sunday and then kicked 52-year-old Andres Hernandez as he tried to come to the rescue, fracturing his ankle.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"All of a sudden, the animal was on top of us like it was rabid," Hernandez said.
Police said it took a half-dozen men to control the enraged burro.
Chiapas police have thrown animals in the slammer before, including a bull that devoured corn crops and destroyed two wooden vending stands in March.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
In 2006, a dog was locked up for 12 days after biting someone. His owners were fined $18.