Men in custody, but Big Pig's afraid

Its owner says the 400-pound pet used to roll over for belly rubs.

By ROBBYN MITCHELL, Times Staff Writer
Published September 19, 2007

SUN CITY - Two suspects in a poaching raid Sunday on a Sun City Stables that left one pig dead and another stabbed have been apprehended, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

But the attack may haunt the surviving 400-pound pet, Big Pig, forever.

William Andrew Lilley, 10119 Gibsonton Drive, and Richard Charles Pinegar III, 12355 Foxmoor Peak Drive, Riverview, were arrested by sheriff's deputies on felony animal cruelty charges, plus two counts of grand theft and one count of trespassing. Both men are 20.

Sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said the two spent all day Saturday drinking and then decided to go to the stables with only a pipe and pocket knife on what they considered a "hunting" trip.

They hopped a fence between 1 and 4 a.m., Callaway said.

Pinegar, is accused of beating one pig to death with the pipe and tossing it into the back of a pickup truck. Then, Callaway said, Pinegar stabbed Big Pig with the pocket knife.

The would-be poachers tried to tie the massive swine to the back of the truck with a garden hose, but he was too big to budge, Callaway said.

Deputies are still searching for a third suspect.

And Big Pig is still dealing with the trauma.

"He was so gentle," said Cornelia Winn, his owner. "You could put your hand into his mouth and all he would do is suck on your fingers."

Winn said Tuesday that Big Pig wasn't eating much and wouldn't let her near him, even though she has cared for him his entire life.

He was born at Sun City Stables and in seven years grew to be twice the size of every pig there. Winn trained him and treated him just as she would a dog.

"He would roll over and let you scratch his stomach, and kids would pet him all the time," she said.

Big Pig played with children, sat on command and drank soda from the bottle.

Cynthia Newman, co-owner of the stables, said the pig's begun to associate all people with pain since his veterinarian comes to give him shots twice a day and others clean his deep cuts.

"It's going to take a really long time for him to understand what happened to him," she said.

All the pigs were there, Newman said, and none have forgotten. "They don't even want to go into the pen at night anymore," she said. "We put them in there to protect them."

Poaching isn't a new problem for the business.

Newman said that dogs in their rural neighborhood drag animals under the fence for poachers, but this is the first time someone has entered the stable to steal or hurt the animals.

Pinegar and Lilley were being held at the Orient Road Jail on $8,500 and $6,500 bail, respectively.

[Last modified September 18, 2007, 23:42:21]