JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (CBS12) — A 64-year-old Jacksonville woman is facing multiple felony charges after investigators say she intentionally ran over a group of baby ducklings with her vehicle on the city’s Westside.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Beverly Sasberry was arrested April 30, after officers connected her to an incident that occurred several days earlier on Tempest Street. A couple told police they watched as a red Honda Accord repeatedly drove over several ducklings, then turned around multiple times to strike them again.
The witnesses later encountered the driver and confronted her about what they had seen. Investigators said the woman admitted she had intentionally killed the ducklings because she was angry that the ducks were making a mess in her yard.
The couple reported the incident to District 4 patrol officers and provided surveillance video that captured the vehicle driving over the animals. Officers said they were able to identify Sasberry as the owner of the red Honda Accord seen in the video.
See also: What happens next for Florida’s District 20 after DeSantis signs new congressional map
On April 30, officers conducted a traffic stop on Sasberry and interviewed her about the incident. She was then taken into custody and charged with 11 counts of animal cruelty, all felonies under Florida law.
A Jacksonville woman, Beverly Sasberry, was arrested on 11 felony animal cruelty charges after police say she repeatedly ran over baby ducklings with her car because they were making a mess in her yard. (JSO)
In a statement, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it takes crimes against animals seriously and urged anyone who witnesses suspected animal abuse to report it to police. “We do not take animal cruelty cases lightly,” the agency said.
Sasberry was booked into the Duval County Jail. Court records did not immediately list a bond amount or a date for her first court appearance.