Former IU wrestler arrested for 'practicing karate' by kicking swans in the head

A former Indiana University wrestler was arrested last week for practicing karate by kicking swans in the head, the Orlando Sentinel first reported.

Police were called to Lake Eola Park in Orlando around 9:30 a.m. on April 26 after 34-year-old Rocco Joseph Mantella was “kicking animals throughout the park," according to the arrest affidavit. One witness said Mantella was practicing karate by kicking two swans in the head and then another in the backside. The same witness said the kicks were “as hard as possible”, and that one swan collapsed. The witness said Mantella also kicked a small duck that appeared to be sleeping.

Another witness said they saw Mantella intentionally go after a swan, saying he laughed when he saw the reaction of the witness.

The arrest affidavit says that witnesses saw Mantella strike the same swan repeatedly.

Mantella was arrested without incident and charged with one count of Cruelty to Animals.

Mantella, who began wrestling for IU during the 2001 season, won an amateur MMA fight in 2012, according to Bloody Elbow.

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