Melbourne man charged in beating deaths of 4 ducks

Lamaur Stancil | Florida Today

Show Caption Hide Caption Ducks beaten to death in Melbourne neighborhood A Melbourne man has been charged with the beating death of four ducks

Police said a man has been charged with beating four ducks — three of them ducklings — to death with a stick.

Magdiel Marrero-Pena, 41, of the 3500 block of Mount Carmel Lane, Melbourne, was charged with four counts of cruelty to animals.

Officers found the ducks late Monday morning in the man's backyard. He lives in the Eagle Lake subdivision west of Lipscomb Street and south of Pirate Lane. His neighbors made the call to 911.

Marrero-Pena told officers he beat the adult duck with a stick and stomped on the duckling, Melbourne police said. He told officers the adult duck had wandered onto his property and attacked him.

Police also charged him with violating a city ordinance that designates Melbourne as a wildlife sanctuary and prohibits animals from being intentionally killed and injured.

Marrero-Pena remained at the Brevard County Jail Tuesday in lieu of $20,250 bail.

More: Melbourne man arrested in dog-dragging animal cruelty case

Stancil is a breaking news reporter for FLORIDA TODAY and TCPalm.

Contact Stancil at 321-242-3662 or 321-987-7179

or lamaur.stancil@tcpalm.com.

Twitter: @TCPalmLStancil