Former DxE member says she alone led Petaluma Poultry break-ins tied to Zoe Rosenberg case

"Raven Deerbrook, a former member of the animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere, told jurors she began investigating the poultry plant in April 2023 after reading stories about the facility in The Press Democrat and ProPublica. Acting on her own, she said, she entered the property twice at night that month before alerting Rosenberg to her findings. Rosenberg joined her May 21, Deerbrook said, when the two went onto the property without permission."

"Prosecutors allege the pair entered Petaluma Poultry multiple times in spring 2023, accessed company computers and records, and placed GPS trackers on a dozen delivery trucks. They say the activity culminated June 13, 2023, when Rosenberg removed four chickens from a trailer while about 50 Direct Action Everywhere members rallied outside the facility. Rosenberg was arrested that November outside the courthouse, shortly after DxE co-founder Wayne Hsiung was sentenced to 90 days in jail and two years' probation in a similar trespassing and conspiracy case."

"Deerbrook, who reached a plea deal in June and pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors, testified Thursday that she placed the GPS trackers, used bolt cutters to get through a fence and brought buckets to transport the chickens. Prosecutor Matthew Hobson questioned her credibility, noting she had no formal training in agriculture or with government agencies such as the USDA."

Raven Deerbrook began investigating Petaluma Poultry in April 2023 after reading reports in The Press Democrat and ProPublica. Acting independently, she entered the facility twice at night, then returned with Zoe Rosenberg on May 21 to enter without permission. Authorities allege multiple spring 2023 incursions involved accessing company computers and records, placing GPS trackers on about a dozen delivery trucks, cutting a fence with bolt cutters, and transporting chickens in buckets. The events culminated on June 13, 2023, when four chickens were removed amid a Direct Action Everywhere rally. Rosenberg was arrested in November and faces a sentence ranging from probation to five years.

Read at www.pressdemocrat.com