A California community is in shock and enraged after a man stoned a beloved wild bird to death. Someone captured the sickening act on video, which led to the man's arrest.
Authorities arrested 36-year-old Jeremy Jansen after he used a rock to smash the bird to death. The incident happened Lake Gregory near the San Bernardino Mountains. The bird, a Great Egret named Arthur, became a local staple at the lake. The animal frequently visited the area. But sadly, a local man killed the animal.
The video of the sickening crime led to Jansen's arrest. I'm not going to link or include it here. The world has enough violence. But the tape showed Jansen throwing a rock at Arthur. The first attempt missed the bird. Onlookers told him to leave the animal alone, but he picked up a second rock and smashed the animal with it.
Man Stones Bird To Death
Arthur then fell into the water. One of the Jansen's colleagues fished the animal out of the water and left it to die near the shore. Eyewitnesses to the event were horrified. Kaylyn Donica opened up about the shock of the crime.
"It was just shock and anger, like, 'What the hell is wrong with you?'" Donica said of the moment in an interview with KTLA. "He went walking up toward the grass with it and was looking at it under its wing. Something needs to happen. He needs to have repercussions. You don't just go around and do whatever you want."
Authorities have charged him for animal cruelty and for violating the Fish and Game Code. Locals are
"It's just made me absolutely sick to my stomach," resident Shyann Swisher told CBS News. "This bird was a part of our community. His name was Arthur."
Following the sickening crime, a wild life expert was able to confirm that the bird in the video was indeed Arthur. It's a sad time for both the community and bird watchers abroad.
Jansen faces maximum three year-sentence in a state prison. He also faces $20,000.
