Former “Baywatch” star Alexandra Paula and a co-defendant were found not guilty Friday of robbery after taking two chickens from a Foster Farms truck in September 2021.
Paul and Alicia Santurio were acquitted of misdemeanor theft charges after a multi-day trial in Merced County.
The two activists removed the chickens from a truck outside the Foster Farms plant in Livingston, California, in what they called an “open rescue.”
The incident was captured on video by animal activist organization Direct Action Everywhere and posted online within hours.
A video from animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere appears to show actress Alexandra Paul and Alicia Santurio removing chickens from a truck outside the Foster Farms plant in Livingston, California.
“This is a victory for (the chickens) Ethan, Jax and all other living things subject to abuse by corporations like Foster Farms,” Santurio said in a Direct Action Everywhere news release. “I have a lot of love for my family’s chickens and I want all the animals to experience that safety and respect.”
“This is how we shape history,” Paul said in the statement, “using our privileges to take on unfair industries that exploit animals.”
The verdict marks the second recent victory for activists who have removed animals from commercial facilities.
In October, the Direct Action Everywhere activists who took piglets from a Smithfield Foods facility in Utah were also acquitted at trial.
