- A 71-year-old California man, Randall Lee Bertsch, has been charged with felony animal cruelty after allegedly beating a mallard duckling to death and seriously injuring another.
- The incident occurred on May 13 at a community swimming pool in Irvine, California, where Bertsch reportedly yelled at a mother duck and her 10 ducklings.
- Prosecutors allege Bertsch trapped several ducklings in a box, then used a recycling trash can to beat them before throwing the bin at the mother duck and other ducklings.
- Bertsch faces two felony counts of animal cruelty, three felony counts of attempted animal cruelty, one misdemeanor count of harassment of animals, and five felony enhancements for using a trash bin as a weapon.
- He was arrested and released on bond, but is now wanted on a $50,000 arrest warrant; if convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of seven years and six months in jail.
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