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San Marcos goat thief blames Elon Musk

Shot in the stomach with a .22

Alexander Belinsky: "I thought I was in a video game."
Alexander Belinsky: "I thought I was in a video game."

The would-be goat thief admitted he was psychotic. But Elon Musk had nothing to do with it.

Alexander Belinsky was 36 when he first sneaked into the San Marcos backyard . The woman was home and she phoned the Sheriff to report there was a stranger in her yard asking about her dog. The woman called her dog to her, and the stranger ran from her yard. That was on Monday, December 5, 2022. The next day the same man came back and assaulted her goats, that happened Tuesday, December 6, 2022.

It was after 3 pm when the 60-year-old woman and her 79-year-old husband heard one of their goats screaming for help. They both went outside and saw the same man again on their three-acre property on Seaforever Drive, located in a rugged part of San Marcos.

The trespasser, Alexander Sidney Belinsky, is 6 feet 3 inches tall and a robust 250 pounds. He had a record of arrests in San Diego and Orange Counties, for drunk driving and other offenses, by this time. And Belinsky acquired more arrests after the goat incident, because Belinsky was soon granted “mental health diversion” and he was released from custody. 

The three-acre property on Seaforever Drive is located in a rugged part of San Marcos.


It had been a cool and drizzly December morning, so probably the ground was slippery around the goat pen. When the elderly couple tried to prevent Belinsky from taking one of their goats, somehow the couple ended up on the ground. This happened about the same time their herd of goats stampeded out of their pen, and Belinsky walked off with one frantic goat over his shoulder. 

Defense attorney Ryan Cannon admitted, “Mr. Belinsky entered the goat pen located in the backyard of (homeowner) and began attempting to corral one of the many goats. 

 “Mr. Belinsky believed that he was being instructed by Elon Musk to capture a goat, bring it to the top of a nearby hill and sacrifice it.”

In the defense attorney’s version of events, the woman of the home came outside to tell Belinsky to stop what he was doing and to leave the property, “Mr. Belinsky replied that he was only doing what Elon Musk had instructed him to do.” According to the defense attorney, the gate of the goat pen was opened and that was when the 79-year-old man got knocked down. Belinsky continued trying to catch a goat while the 60-year-old woman followed, she carried a stick and was telling him to leave. “Mr. Belinsky was able to grab hold of one of the goats and slung it onto his back while he walked to the front of the property,” the defense attorney stated.

At the front of the property, Belinsky noticed a dune buggy parked under a carport there.

Belinsky threw the goat into the passenger seat, he somehow secured the animal with a seat belt, head-first in the seat. Then Belinsky tried to start the buggy, but he discovered it was out of gas, so Belinsky demanded the homeowner fill the gas tank so he could make his exit, with the captive goat.

“By this time, (homeowner) had gone back inside of his home and retrieved a .22 caliber rifle,” defense attorney Ryan Cannon stated in court papers.

The homeowner allegedly appeared with a single-shot .22 rifle, hoping to scare the stranger away and retain his goat and dune buggy. One version stated that the stranger approached and put his hands onto the elderly man and this caused the gun to go off. In any case, one bullet blasted into Belinsky’s belly.

After he was shot in the stomach,“Mr. Belinsky took the rifle away from (homeowner) and then sat down on the ground and began complaining of pain from the gun shot wound. Eventually Mr. Belinsky wandered into the home and collapsed on the floor.” This according to defense attorney Ryan Cannon’s statement.

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When Sheriff’s deputies arrived, Belinsky told them he was “on a mission for Elon Musk” and “needed a goat to sacrifice on the highest hill in the area,” according to statements in court files.

Deputy David Arnold swore out an arrest warrant; some of his statements included: “Alexander Belinsky was on a mission for Elon Musk. Alexander Belinsky needed a goat to sacrifice on the highest hill in the area. Alexander Belinsky gained access to the goat pen and wrapped an arm around the goat’s neck and began strangling the animal. Alexander Belinsky picked up the goat and began exiting the goat pen…. Alexander Belinsky attempted to flee the area in Stephen’s motorized dune buggy but was unable to start the engine. At one point, Alexander Belinsky was in Stephen’s dune buggy with the goat tied up via the seat belt….Stephen shot Alexander Belinsky in self-defense. Alexander Belinsky fled into Stephen’s house and stayed inside until deputies arrived on scene. Stephen and Victoria stayed outside the house.” 

One week after the alleged goat abuse, Belinsky was arraigned (it is unclear if he was still in hospital at that time), he was informed of multiple felony charges and pleaded not-guilty to all, including abuse of elders, abuse of goat, theft and robbery. 

The next month, defense attorney Ryan Cannon filed papers asking for “diversion” for Belinsky, in this way the defendant could avoid jail or normal adjudication through the courts.

Belinsky said he started using marijuana at 16, and “weed is my drug of choice.  I would use it daily if I can. I feel that it has many health benefits. It relaxes me.  …It is a stress reliever.  It’s my self-medication. When I use marijuana, I don’t have a desire to use alcohol or anything else.” And, “My use of alcohol is a problem because I’m a binge drinker.”

Belinsky explained his strange behavior: “I was on medication at that time. I wasn’t drinking but I had Covid. I had just tested positive and I was feeling very strange. I remember it relatively well but I was psychotic at that time.”

Why did you try to steal a goat? “For some reason, I thought my brother had taken the identity of my friend. I thought my brother was part of a clandestine billionaire society, but I’m not real sure about my delusions. I was afraid I was being watched by this group of billionaires.”  Belinsky explained, “At that time, I thought Elon Musk was involved.”

And you needed a goat? “At that time, I thought I was in a video game.  I see these goats and I think that I need to get to the top of the hill with a goat to sacrifice it. …I got the goat. I saw an ATV.  I thought I could use it to get to the top of the hill. This man had a 22 caliber rifle on me, I thought I go take it away from him, that’s when he shot me in the stomach.” 

Belinsky was asked about one of his previous arrests: “I got arrested for stealing some beer from somebody’s house. It was on the porch. It was an 18-pack. I got arrested. I did informal probation.”

But a prosecutor stated, in her written response to defense, that in 2012 a man came home and placed a 32-pack of beer inside his home, and then he walked back outside to his car. Prosecutor Laura Palacios claimed it was then that Belinsky broke through a window to get to the beer, and this was allegedly witnessed by the man’s son. When Belinsky walked away he had “blood and glass in his hands,” according to the prosecutor, “He proceeded to place as much beer as he could in his pockets before leaving the remainder on the ground.”

In a different case, which happened before the goat incident, Belinsky allegedly broke into a car in a parking lot at Palomar Hospital, he used a fire extinguisher to break the passenger door window. His defense attorney said this was part of a “mental health crisis.” The prosecutor stated that when Belinsky was confronted, he tried to grab a folding knife in a door pocket.

Belinsky reportedly explained that incident: “I was in the parking lot. I saw this Tesla car. I knew it was a game, and so I busted the window. I can’t decide that that was delusional. It seemed so real. Anyway, I was sure I was part of this game. I bashed the car. Security came up and I ran off.”  

Documents in court files state that Belinsky is single with no children and receives SSDI disability payments. He was born in San Diego and grew up in La Jolla “We had everything I ever needed.” His mother is 72 years old, and his father died at 63 of cancer. He does not like his older brother, seven years older, “He always picked on me.” 

Judge Michael Washington considered the facts and did grant Belinsky the “mental health diversion” that defense requested. 

The elderly couple who live on Seeforever Drive in San Marcos with their dogs and goats were granted a restraining order, to keep Belinsky away from their property, that court order expires December of 2027.

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Alexander Belinsky: "I thought I was in a video game."
Alexander Belinsky: "I thought I was in a video game."

The would-be goat thief admitted he was psychotic. But Elon Musk had nothing to do with it.

Alexander Belinsky was 36 when he first sneaked into the San Marcos backyard . The woman was home and she phoned the Sheriff to report there was a stranger in her yard asking about her dog. The woman called her dog to her, and the stranger ran from her yard. That was on Monday, December 5, 2022. The next day the same man came back and assaulted her goats, that happened Tuesday, December 6, 2022.

It was after 3 pm when the 60-year-old woman and her 79-year-old husband heard one of their goats screaming for help. They both went outside and saw the same man again on their three-acre property on Seaforever Drive, located in a rugged part of San Marcos.

The trespasser, Alexander Sidney Belinsky, is 6 feet 3 inches tall and a robust 250 pounds. He had a record of arrests in San Diego and Orange Counties, for drunk driving and other offenses, by this time. And Belinsky acquired more arrests after the goat incident, because Belinsky was soon granted “mental health diversion” and he was released from custody. 

The three-acre property on Seaforever Drive is located in a rugged part of San Marcos.


It had been a cool and drizzly December morning, so probably the ground was slippery around the goat pen. When the elderly couple tried to prevent Belinsky from taking one of their goats, somehow the couple ended up on the ground. This happened about the same time their herd of goats stampeded out of their pen, and Belinsky walked off with one frantic goat over his shoulder. 

Defense attorney Ryan Cannon admitted, “Mr. Belinsky entered the goat pen located in the backyard of (homeowner) and began attempting to corral one of the many goats. 

 “Mr. Belinsky believed that he was being instructed by Elon Musk to capture a goat, bring it to the top of a nearby hill and sacrifice it.”

In the defense attorney’s version of events, the woman of the home came outside to tell Belinsky to stop what he was doing and to leave the property, “Mr. Belinsky replied that he was only doing what Elon Musk had instructed him to do.” According to the defense attorney, the gate of the goat pen was opened and that was when the 79-year-old man got knocked down. Belinsky continued trying to catch a goat while the 60-year-old woman followed, she carried a stick and was telling him to leave. “Mr. Belinsky was able to grab hold of one of the goats and slung it onto his back while he walked to the front of the property,” the defense attorney stated.

At the front of the property, Belinsky noticed a dune buggy parked under a carport there.

Belinsky threw the goat into the passenger seat, he somehow secured the animal with a seat belt, head-first in the seat. Then Belinsky tried to start the buggy, but he discovered it was out of gas, so Belinsky demanded the homeowner fill the gas tank so he could make his exit, with the captive goat.

“By this time, (homeowner) had gone back inside of his home and retrieved a .22 caliber rifle,” defense attorney Ryan Cannon stated in court papers.

The homeowner allegedly appeared with a single-shot .22 rifle, hoping to scare the stranger away and retain his goat and dune buggy. One version stated that the stranger approached and put his hands onto the elderly man and this caused the gun to go off. In any case, one bullet blasted into Belinsky’s belly.

After he was shot in the stomach,“Mr. Belinsky took the rifle away from (homeowner) and then sat down on the ground and began complaining of pain from the gun shot wound. Eventually Mr. Belinsky wandered into the home and collapsed on the floor.” This according to defense attorney Ryan Cannon’s statement.

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When Sheriff’s deputies arrived, Belinsky told them he was “on a mission for Elon Musk” and “needed a goat to sacrifice on the highest hill in the area,” according to statements in court files.

Deputy David Arnold swore out an arrest warrant; some of his statements included: “Alexander Belinsky was on a mission for Elon Musk. Alexander Belinsky needed a goat to sacrifice on the highest hill in the area. Alexander Belinsky gained access to the goat pen and wrapped an arm around the goat’s neck and began strangling the animal. Alexander Belinsky picked up the goat and began exiting the goat pen…. Alexander Belinsky attempted to flee the area in Stephen’s motorized dune buggy but was unable to start the engine. At one point, Alexander Belinsky was in Stephen’s dune buggy with the goat tied up via the seat belt….Stephen shot Alexander Belinsky in self-defense. Alexander Belinsky fled into Stephen’s house and stayed inside until deputies arrived on scene. Stephen and Victoria stayed outside the house.” 

One week after the alleged goat abuse, Belinsky was arraigned (it is unclear if he was still in hospital at that time), he was informed of multiple felony charges and pleaded not-guilty to all, including abuse of elders, abuse of goat, theft and robbery. 

The next month, defense attorney Ryan Cannon filed papers asking for “diversion” for Belinsky, in this way the defendant could avoid jail or normal adjudication through the courts.

Belinsky said he started using marijuana at 16, and “weed is my drug of choice.  I would use it daily if I can. I feel that it has many health benefits. It relaxes me.  …It is a stress reliever.  It’s my self-medication. When I use marijuana, I don’t have a desire to use alcohol or anything else.” And, “My use of alcohol is a problem because I’m a binge drinker.”

Belinsky explained his strange behavior: “I was on medication at that time. I wasn’t drinking but I had Covid. I had just tested positive and I was feeling very strange. I remember it relatively well but I was psychotic at that time.”

Why did you try to steal a goat? “For some reason, I thought my brother had taken the identity of my friend. I thought my brother was part of a clandestine billionaire society, but I’m not real sure about my delusions. I was afraid I was being watched by this group of billionaires.”  Belinsky explained, “At that time, I thought Elon Musk was involved.”

And you needed a goat? “At that time, I thought I was in a video game.  I see these goats and I think that I need to get to the top of the hill with a goat to sacrifice it. …I got the goat. I saw an ATV.  I thought I could use it to get to the top of the hill. This man had a 22 caliber rifle on me, I thought I go take it away from him, that’s when he shot me in the stomach.” 

Belinsky was asked about one of his previous arrests: “I got arrested for stealing some beer from somebody’s house. It was on the porch. It was an 18-pack. I got arrested. I did informal probation.”

But a prosecutor stated, in her written response to defense, that in 2012 a man came home and placed a 32-pack of beer inside his home, and then he walked back outside to his car. Prosecutor Laura Palacios claimed it was then that Belinsky broke through a window to get to the beer, and this was allegedly witnessed by the man’s son. When Belinsky walked away he had “blood and glass in his hands,” according to the prosecutor, “He proceeded to place as much beer as he could in his pockets before leaving the remainder on the ground.”

In a different case, which happened before the goat incident, Belinsky allegedly broke into a car in a parking lot at Palomar Hospital, he used a fire extinguisher to break the passenger door window. His defense attorney said this was part of a “mental health crisis.” The prosecutor stated that when Belinsky was confronted, he tried to grab a folding knife in a door pocket.

Belinsky reportedly explained that incident: “I was in the parking lot. I saw this Tesla car. I knew it was a game, and so I busted the window. I can’t decide that that was delusional. It seemed so real. Anyway, I was sure I was part of this game. I bashed the car. Security came up and I ran off.”  

Documents in court files state that Belinsky is single with no children and receives SSDI disability payments. He was born in San Diego and grew up in La Jolla “We had everything I ever needed.” His mother is 72 years old, and his father died at 63 of cancer. He does not like his older brother, seven years older, “He always picked on me.” 

Judge Michael Washington considered the facts and did grant Belinsky the “mental health diversion” that defense requested. 

The elderly couple who live on Seeforever Drive in San Marcos with their dogs and goats were granted a restraining order, to keep Belinsky away from their property, that court order expires December of 2027.

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