Police searched the home of 49-year-old Sebastián Favre after residents reported shots fired at animals. He was notified of an investigation into suspected animal abuse, while authorities are also examining allegations of threats and weapons violations.
Authorities are investigating reports of shots fired at capybaras in the Nordelta residential complex outside Buenos Aires. Residents of the Los Alisos neighbourhood and the Nordelta Neighbours Association filed complaints over an incident on September 17. La Nación reported that a man identified by residents and investigators as 49-year-old Sebastián Favre went into his garden and fired toward the animals.
Police searched the property and seized an air gun and clothing that investigators said appeared to match items visible in residents’ recordings. Favre was formally notified that he is under investigation on suspicion of animal abuse. Investigators are seeking to establish whether the seized weapon is the one shown in the recordings and whether similar incidents occurred before. One line of inquiry is that shots may have been intended to scare away animals entering the garden.
Several residents also said they had been threatened to prevent them from testifying or sharing information. Those claims are part of the inquiry. The case was initially filed under Argentina’s National Animal Protection Law No. 14,346. Authorities are also examining possible weapons-related violations.
The Nordelta Neighbours Association said residents first reported the incident to the neighbourhood security service and disciplinary tribunal, and that the association filed a criminal complaint on September 18. In a statement, it called the use of weapons in a residential area an unacceptable danger and said it was cooperating with investigators. La Nación said Favre had not responded to its requests for comment by publication time. The investigation is ongoing, and no court has determined guilt.