Ducklings were a 'nuisance' to Florida man. He's charged with killing them, reports say
Facing multiple counts of felony animal cruelty, a Florida man admitted to investigators that he drowned several ducklings in his pool, according to reports.
Robert Block, 79, of Naples, faces five counts of cruelty to animals, Collier County Sheriff's Office records show. According to NBC 2, Block turned himself in Monday.
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report stated Block told investigators he was "frustrated with the wildlife in the area getting into his pool," and he drowned some ducklings in a March 27 incident, NBC 2 reported.
Block went on to call them "nuisances" and said he was looking for ways to get them off his property, according to the Naples Daily News. Investigators found five dead ducklings near Block's pool hidden behind a palm frond.
A neighbor told WINK News she was "excited" that justice is being served for the ducklings.
"I thought it would get to this point. I didn't know how long it would take, but I'm really excited," Rita Krill said.
Krill said she's put up five crosses to honor the ducklings that died and has noticed the mother duck returning to Block's yard every day, looking for her babies.
In March, Krill told NBC 2 she could hear the chirps of the ducklings form next door. That's when she said she saw Block forcing the ducklings underwater with a pool skimmer.
"I'm scarred for life honestly. It was horrible," Krill said at the time.
A neighbor who called the sheriff's office on March 27 described the incident to a dispatcher:
"They got into his pool and he held them down with his skimmer and drowned them all. ... And the mother was out, the mama duck was out there just screaming and the babies were squealing. It was so horrible," the Naples Daily News reported, citing a recording of the call. The sheriff's office notified FWC of the incident.
Court records show Block is scheduled to appear in court on June 11.
This story was originally published May 16, 2018 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Ducklings were a 'nuisance' to Florida man. He's charged with killing them, reports say."