Disturbing video leads to arrest after pigeon brutally killed outside Cape Coral home

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

A Cape Coral man was arrested after a neighbor's video showed him beating and killing a pigeon on Saturday.

The video, shared by a neighbor, shows Richard Castle attacking the pigeon with a stick outside his home on Vincennes Street. Jack Bryant, a Cape Coral resident, described the incident.

"It's pretty messed up. I can't believe that the guy would, would do that to an innocent bird," Bryant said.

Bryant, who saw the video, added, "He just came out of his house, and he got a stick, and he smacked it out here in the middle of the yard. Then he went over with that stick, and he just beat it until it quit moving."

Cape Coral police said the victim, who reported the incident, considered the pigeons as pets and had recently bought them. The pigeons were seen outside where the attack happened.

"I don't care if it's a dog, cat, pigeon, or insect. Do you know anything? He shouldn't be killing anything in this society," said Brian Bonoa, another Cape Coral resident.

Several hours later, the same Ring doorbell camera captured multiple officers walking away with Castle.

"I don't understand. It just doesn't make any sense to me why somebody would kill an innocent animal," Bryant said.

Castle is currently in the Lee County Jail, charged with animal cruelty and criminal mischief. Neighbors are glad the Ring camera helped police gather evidence to arrest Castle.

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