This Sandhill Crane family was near our house here in the Forest a few years ago.
Picture credit: Walkingfox
There was no intention to write today, it is a Holiday weekend, everyone is already at the Beaches here and happily spending time relaxing with family.
Alas, not so for those who tuned into the local news this morning and were horrified to learn about what happened here yesterday afternoon.
It seems that Marvin Hicks of Leesburg had had enough and took matters into his own hands.
He ran over and killed a baby Sandhill Crane on the golf course in Spanish Village.
He was quoted as saying that they were “crapping all over his Golf Course.”
A witness, Jamie Phillips, who with her son witnessed the gruesome scenes and is a bird lover, said he deliberately chased down the birds, the baby could not keep up with its parents and had stopped.
Hicks ran over the confused, defenseless and innocent baby and killed it.
The witness also said she heard Hicks girlfriend clapping as he ran over the baby Crane and both appeared to have been drinking.
Hicks denied it all, saying he never meant to harm the birds, but they were wrecking the tees on the Golf Course.
Sandhill Cranes are protected in this state and are a threatened species.
There would be fines, perhaps jail time ordinarily, but we are talking about a resident of the affluent community of the Villages, where they often make up their own rules.
Golf carts are not allowed on public roads/streets, but you frequently have to dodge them if you are anywhere near the Villages.
Rules don’t apply to some who live here, who believe that they are privileged because of their address.
FWC is said to be looking into the matter!
We will be waiting and watching, to see if one of the “special people” who live in the Villages receive the same treatment as the rest of us would in this case.
Keeping in mind of course, the young man in Texas, Ethan Couch, who was cleared of murder charges in 2013, for killing four people because his family was just too rich and he could not be held responsible.
He was called the “affluenza teen.”
If this man goes unpunished for this beastly crime, wonder what they will call him in this case of,
murder most foul?
Places to learn more:
Man ran over endangered Sandhill crane with golf cart, neighbor says
Neighbors say man hit, killed baby crane with golf cart over ‘poop’ issue
Leesburg man on golf cart killed sandhill crane, witness says
Reblogged this on and commented:
We are MAD!
Thank you for sharing this sad, sad story.
Wonder what made poor Mr. Hicks so dirty inside?
His face has not been seen yet. No idea, but more will come.
I hope this man is called to account for such a callous act. So sad.
Believe me we will all be watching to see what happens with this heinous case of murder.
I would hurry to speak out about this. Watching and waiting only lets the offender get away with it. 😦 beastly person. someone should run over him!
It is all over our news, we will not forget about him!
What terrible person.
That would be unanimous here!!
These are PROTECTED and THREATENED animals. If nothing is done to this horrific excuse of a human — let alone if he did this to ANY creature… the state needs to be brought up on charges at this point. I’m completely flabbergasted, as always.
Need to come back here and help send him to jail to rot!
HOORAH!
People with so little conscience they do things like that need to be locked up, for everyone’s safety.