So. Fla. Porn Star Fights Animal Cruelty Charges
MIAMI (CBS4) – Wearing an all-white suit, the suspected Santeria practicing porn star appeared before a judge Wednesday and entered a not guilty plea as he faces 22 counts of animal cruelty.
Raul Armenteros was arrested on July 11, 2011 after police found he had left a van full of goats, chickens, pigeons and a duck baking in the summer sun. One of the goats died shortly after police arrived.
On Wednesday, Armenteros appeared before Judge Jorge E. Cueto who set his next court date for September 7th. That's when he's expected to take a plea deal, court officials said.
The terms of the plea were not discussed in court.
Armenteros told police the animals were going to be part of an animal sacrifice as part of his religious beliefs. But police were not swayed.
A judge has since allowed Armenteros to be released on house arrest but cautioned him against doing any movies while on house arrest. Armenteros's public defender argued that state prosecutors had over charged their client and that his $110,000 bond was excessive. The judge agreed.
Known by the screen names of "Ramon" and "The Monster," Armenteros shoots for a variety of adult websites in South Florida. He is arguably Miami's biggest porn star.
"As much as I think [animal cruelty] is disgusting, I can't go around the statute," Judge Cueto said at a hearing two weeks ago.
As he walked out of court Wednesday, Armenteros declined to speak to reporters. He placed rose tinted glasses over his face, shooed the cameras away by waving his hands and said, "Sorry."
