Florida man arrested for torturing federally protected great blue heron to death in front of son
Florida man has been arrested for torturing federally protected blue heron to death by cutting off his legs and slitting his throat in front of his distraught son
- Fritz Eugene, 67, faces multiple charges, including aggravated animal cruelty and cruelty to a child
- Eugene tortured and killed the exotic bird after it ate its fish bait on March 31
- Great blue herons are federally protected under the U.S. Migratory Brid Treaty Act and the Florida Endangered and Threatened Species Rule
A Florida man has been arrested for torturing to death a federally protected blue heron by cutting off the bird’s legs and slitting its throat, all in front of his distraught son.
The man, Fritz Eugene, 67, was fishing on March 31 when he became furious that the bird had eaten his fishing bait.
He then snatched the bird – breaking its leg in the process – and continued the heinous act by “cutting off the bird” bird’s foot off” and “slit his throat” at his sister’s house in St. Port Lucie – all in front of his horrified son, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by DailyMail.com.
St. Lucie police were dispatched to the Southeast Petunia Avenue home Sunday night after a domestic dispute broke out.
Eugene’s wife told officers she first learned about killing the innocent bird when she saw a photo of her husband holding the dead bird on her daughter’s cell phone, according to the police report.
When confronted by officers, Eugene said he had no recollection of the bird or the incident and continued to deny involvement, though one officer said there was a photo.
Eugene now faces multiple charges, including aggravated animal cruelty and cruelty to a child, ABC13 News reported.
Fritz Eugene, 67, now faces multiple charges, including aggravated animal cruelty and cruelty to a child
Great blue herons are federally protected under the U.S. Migratory Brid Treaty Act, as well as the Florida Endangered and Threatened Species Rule
Great blue herons are federally protected under the U.S. Migratory Brid Treaty Act and the Florida Endangered and Threatened Species Rule.
The majestic birds weigh only five to six pounds.
When Fritz’s wife called the police, she said she was concerned for her safety.
She told officers she and her husband were arguing and he told her “he knew people who could take care of her,” according to a statement from the arrest.
The woman told officers that Fritz had previously brought fish home and killed the fish in front of the children before he last killed the great blue heron. He told his wife that his reason for killing the bird was that he was “angry” about killing his fishing bait, according to the report. WPTV reported.
During an interview with the couple’s children, Eugene’s daughter told police he had the bird with him when he picked her up from school. She said the bird was alive, but had a broken leg at the time.
Investigators believe the bird’s leg was broken when Eugene grabbed it.
Police also said Eugene’s son was “distraught” by the ordeal, the Post reported.
Cindy Dionne, the clinical director of Treasure Coast Wildlife, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, told the news outlet that violence against wildlife, including blue herons, is not unheard of in this area.
Dionne, who cares for many of the animals that come into her organization, said, “You almost become desensitized to it.”
She added, “There’s no reason they should harm these animals. They do not pose any threat to them. They’re basically just fishing in a body of water trying to catch their next meal.’