North Miami resident puts focus on ‘sociopath’s’ animal cruelty

NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – Kim Marchena said she feels heartbroken after a killer targeted dozens of ducklings and ducks in her North Miami neighborhood.

Marchena used social media to document the gruesome tragedy. A video shows a shooter wounded one of the slain ducks in the chest.

The Keystone community’s residents woke up on Wednesday to nearly a dozen dead. The victims of the killing spree: “Probably, close to about 45 ducks within the last three or four days.”

Florida law protects all animals such as Muscovy ducks from harassment and inhumane killing.

Andrew Danek said he had never seen such cruelty.

“Each day, I go back to my yard to see the ducks,” Danek said. “There’s less and less of them.”

Danek suspects the “sociopath” doesn’t live in the neighborhood. He was referring to the FBI’s identification of animal cruelty as a potential sign of psychopathy.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission allows ducks to be “humanely trapped” or “removed” from private property, and when euthanized requires the birds to be buried, or burned.

North Miami police officers were investigating a violation of a city ordinance.

Florida’s anti-cruelty statute

• “A person who … unnecessarily mutilates, or kills any animal, or causes the same to be done, or carries in or upon any vehicle, or otherwise, any animal in a cruel or inhumane manner, commits animal cruelty, a misdemeanor of the first degree.”

• “A person convicted of a second or subsequent violation … shall be required to pay a minimum mandatory fine of $5,000 and serve a minimum mandatory period of incarceration of 6 months.”