A Falmouth, Massachusetts, man is accused of intentionally driving through a flock of seagulls at a Yarmouth beach on Wednesday night, killing two of the birds.
Brandin Botelho, 22, is facing charges of cruelty to animals and operating a motor vehicle negligently as so to endanger.
According to Yarmouth police, around 5:15 p.m. an officer was flagged down by a passing motorist who said they had seen someone run over a flock of seagulls at Seagull Beach.
The responding officer went to the beach and was advised that a business owner had called police, saying that a black Honda Civic ran over a group of birds. The witness told police that families in the area also saw what happened and were visibly upset.
Two dead seagulls were located and police obtained a picture of the vehicle’s license plate from the witness.
The vehicle was traced back to Botelho, who was not home when officers called.
Botelho called police later that night and admitted he was at the beach. An officer met with Botelho, who was at his girlfriend’s residence.
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Botelho initially denied knowing anything about the seagulls, according to police. After being told there were cameras, he told police he did remember seeing a group of seagulls in front of his car and that he saw them fly and scatter as he drove by. He denied hitting any of the birds.
On Thursday morning, police reviewed surveillance footage, which showed Botelho driving recklessly in the parking lot and speeding up when reaching the flock of birds. Police said the video showed that he went out of his way to hit the birds.
Criminal charges were then filed against Botelho.
It is not clear if he has an attorney or when the case will be in court.
