Animal shooter violates parole; faces more than 6 years in prison

ROSEVILLE — A man who terrorized rural residents of Lincoln by randomly killing and wounding pets and farm animals with a rifle during a three-day spree in 2007 may be headed to state prison.

Collin James Lovejoy, 20, of Lincoln admitted Friday in Placer County Superior Court that he violated his probation in November by using drugs — his second probation violation in 2009.

The admission means he may have to fulfill a suspended prison sentence of six years and eight months that was imposed by a judge in 2008 when he pleaded no contest to six felony charges of cruelty to animals.

At the time, Judge Colleen Nichols ordered Lovejoy to serve one year in the county jail and placed him on formal probation for five years. A second defendant, Timothy Schultz, pleaded guilty to three counts and was sentenced to  nine months in jail and placed on three years probation.

After serving his jail term, Lovejoy ran afoul of his probation terms.

Last summer, he was stopped by a law enforcement officer who reported finding drug paraphernalia in Lovejoy’s vehicle. In a subsequent court hearing, Lovejoy admitted violating probation.

As he awaited sentencing, he was arrested Nov. 15 for a drug offense.

On Friday, Judge Mark S. Curry accepted Lovejoy’s admission that he had violated probation and he asked the defendant if he understood that he now faces the possibility of going to prison for six years and eight months.
“Yes sir,” Lovejoy answered.

The defendant, who is in custody without bail in the Placer County jail in Auburn, is scheduled for sentencing March 4 before Judge Nichols.