A 69-year-old man who stripped naked, rolled around in the dirt within a sheep compound, and then covered himself in olive oil and oats so nearby horses would “lick him clean,” according to a police report, was arrested just after the witching hour early Wednesday morning by sheriff deputies in Lompoc.
Huntington Beach resident Alfred Thomas Steven told the deputies who pulled up after seeing his parked car at the La Purisima Mission around 12:30 a.m. that the endeavor had always been a fantasy of his. “Having visited La Purisima once before, (Mr. Steven) thought this bucolic setting was perfect for his fantasy to play out,” said Sgt. Martin Eberling from the Lompoc Valley substation of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff Department. Deputies also found him to be in possession of a loaded 357 Magnum revolver.
He was arrested in connection with four misdemeanor charges: animal cruelty, sexual assault on an animal, trespassing on state park property and possession of a loaded firearm on state park property. He was ultimately released by citation. Deputies said he had driven to Lompoc from Huntington Beach specifically for the purpose of fulfilling his fantasy. They added that it did not appear that any animal was injured.