Centralia Man Convicted for Killing Pigs With Truck in October

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A Centralia man accused of killing three pigs with his truck in October is now prohibited from possessing any animals for the next two years after he pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty charge on Monday.

The defendant, Hilario Torres, 61, of Centralia, was arrested in February on a $20,000 warrant for first-degree animal cruelty. He was charged in December for allegedly killing three pigs with his truck on Oct. 11, 2021, while trying to herd them with his truck.

A neighbor reported the incident to law enforcement the next day. According to the neighbor, Torres began herding the animals with his truck when his cows and pigs repeatedly escaped their enclosure. He ran over the pigs “in a fit of rage” when they escaped their makeshift pen, according to court documents.

A deputy with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office soon went out to Torres’ property and observed the three pigs laying in a field.



“I did herd pigs with my truck and by doing so I did accidentally and recklessly killed a pig,” Torres wrote in a guilty plea to one count of second-degree animal cruelty that was filed on May 9.

Judge James Lawler sentenced Torres that same day to 364 days in jail, but granted him credit for the 78 days he has already served in jail and suspended the remaining 286 days of his sentence, meaning he can remain out of custody as long as he has no other criminal law violations and complies with the other aspects of his sentence.

Those other aspects included a $500 fee and a requirement that Torres not possess any animals for two years.

Torres has since been released from the Lewis County Jail.