RIVERSIDE – (INT) – One of two men who operated a Lake Elsinore business that bred reptiles and rodents was sentenced Wednesday in an animal cruelty case.

Mitchell Behm will pay restitution of $200,000 to the city of Lake Elsinore and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). He will serve 5 years of formal probation.

A Superior Court judge added 200 hours of community service. As a term of probation, Behm can’t own, possess, maintain or harbor any animals other than any family pets nor can he own or work at any business or facility which has animals.

PETA did a 2-month investigation and found that 16,000 rats and reptiles had been killed at Behm’s business called Global Captive Breeders. Some had been frozen alive. It was the largest case of its kind in California history.

David Delgado, the outfit’s manager, will be sentenced May 12th.

Story Date: April 19, 2014