Moment vile California man, 36, stones beloved bird to death at public lake
A man is in custody after killing a bird beloved by locals with a rock.
Jeremy Jansen, a 36-year-old from Los Angeles, was filmed committing the disturbing act last month.
It happened at Lake Gregory near the San Bernardino Mountains, where the Great Egret known as “Arthur” was a regular visitor.
The footage shows the same bird being stoned, which ultimately led to the man’s arrest.
It shows him throwing a rock at the animal as it stands helpless dozens of meters away, first missing as others watch in horror.
Even as spectators told him to stop, he threw a second one – this one made contact.
The bird is then seen falling into the water before being pulled out and left to die by a person with Jansen’s group.
The event left witnesses like Kaylyn Donica in disbelief, now that Jansen is facing animal cruelty charges.
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Jeremy Jansen, a 36-year-old from Los Angeles, was filmed committing the disturbing act last month.
It happened at Lake Gregory near the San Bernardino Mountains, where the Great Egret known as ‘Arthur’ was a regular visitor – much to the delight of locals
“It was just shock and anger, like, ‘What the hell is wrong with you?'” Donica said of the moment in an interview with KTL.
“He walked it out to the grass and looked at it under his wings,” she added of the friend who pulled out the fatally injured animal.
‘Something has to be done. He needs to have repercussions,” she said of the suspect, who was tracked down thanks to the cellphone video she recorded.
“You’re not just going to walk around and do whatever you want.”
The images, filmed on October 23, circulated near Jansen, police said this week.
As a result, detectives there were able to contact him and confirm that he was the perpetrator responsible.
Officers in the upscale LA suburb known as Claremont proceeded to arrest and book Jansen – for animal cruelty and for violating the Fish and Game Code.
The arrest occurred Tuesday, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department confirmed, but no mugshot of the suspect was released.
The event left witnesses in disbelief as Jansen is now charged with animal cruelty. His alleged crimes carry a maximum sentence of three years in a state prison, a fine of up to $20,000, after he was arrested on Tuesday
Meanwhile, the disturbing clip, filmed by Donica, continues to gain popularity online, terrifying audiences around the world.
“It just made me feel sick,” resident Shyann Swisher said CBS News early November after seeing the clip.
“This bird was part of our community,” she continued, her voice full of emotion.
“His name was Arthur.”
Speaking to KTLA, a wildlife expert confirmed that the bird seen in the footage and Arthur, a regular at the lake, were one and the same.
Moreover, its death was not quick, officials said, indicating how the bird was first injured by the barrage before eventually dying.
“One guy stood up and said, ‘Look, a crane,’” Donica recalled what happened before the series of stone throws.
As for Jansen, he was booked into the West Valley Detention Center on Tuesday for animal cruelty and killing a non-game bird. Records did not immediately indicate he was released.
His alleged crimes carry a penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office for more information.