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Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center news

Discussion in 'United States' started by SusScrofa, 28 Aug 2022.

  1. SusScrofa

    SusScrofa Well-Known Member

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    Teens accused killing, stealing fish from Fla. Oceanographic Center in Martin County

    Investigators say four teens broke into the Florida Oceanographic Center where they killed one fish and slapped another before stealing it.

    The break-in happened on Aug. 9 and it's caught on camera.

    According to the arrest report, the teens hopped a fence near the stingray enclosure at 4:43 p.m. They all had fishing poles with them. A fifth young person stayed outside the facility and sat on a bench, waiting for the other four.

    In the surveillance video, the teens started fishing in the main water enclosure. They caught a large tarpon. One of the teens ripped part of the fish out from under the jaw and showed it to his friends. He's seen laughing as the fish is in the water, surrounded by blood. A teen grabs the fish to retrieve the lure before tossing it back into the water.

    Another teen, according to the report, caught a mangrove snapper. Deputies said he slapped the fish twice as he tried to remove the lure. The four teens leave the area through the parking lot.

    The sheriff's office said the teens actually broke into the facility twice. They lost two lures in the water the first time. They killed the tarpon and stole the snapper during the second intrusion.

    The director of Animal Care and Life Support identified the four individuals from their social media pages. Two are underage.

    The adult suspects are identified as 18-year-olds Giovanni Del Greco and Matteo Dal Vecchio. One of the juvenile suspects is the younger brother of one of the older teens.

    Teens accused killing, stealing fish from Fla. Oceanographic Center in Martin County
     
  2. TinoPup

    TinoPup Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    A spokesman for the center released this statement,

    "As a non-profit organization focused on eco-based education, Florida Oceanographic has a tightly regulated state permit that allows animals Educational purposes at the Coastal Center Our Conservation Ambassador animals live on-site to protect the Love to care for nature and the environment. The care and safety of these creatures is a top priority. These weren’t just animals – they were longtime members of our family who educated our community about wild sea creatures and how to protect them. The animals that were the killed people lived with us since they were young, this was their home. The care, time and effort we put into raising her is beyond words. As an organization ion we do not collect adult animals from the wild and for this reason the Conservation Ambassadors who have been taken from us are irreplaceable and we mourn their absence."