Christian Lesieur, 48, of Quebec, Canada. was arrested on Wednesday for endangering the welfare of a child after police said he allowed his daughter to bait and kill a seagull on the beach in the area of Wilmington Avenue.
Police said that at around 1:45 p.m., officers responded to the beach in area of Wilmington Avenue after the Beach Patrol had received complaints of a female attempting to hit seagulls with a shovel.
Upon arrival, officers interviewed witnesses and learned that a teenage girl was placing food in a hole dug in the sand to lure seagulls to land, according to police. Police said that witnesses advised officers that when the seagulls would attempt to retrieve the food, the teenager would swing at them with a plastic shovel. Authorities said that officers learned that the teenager had struck one seagull and killed it. The seagull was located in a nearby trash can, where the Father, Lesieur, had discarded it, according to police.
Police said that witnesses told the officers that while the teenager swung at the seagulls, Lesieur laughed. One witness told the officers that when he approached Lesieur and told him that his daughter should not be attempting to hit the seagulls he laughed at him, according to officials. Rehoboth Police said that when officers contacted Lesieur on the beach he was drinking alcohol.
Officers transported Lesieur and his 13 year old daughter to the police department for further investigation. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control was contacted to investigate the killing of the seagull.
Officials said Lesieur, while in custody made multiple jokes in regards to the incident. While his daughter was crying, Lesieur proceeded to make comments in regards to her spending the night in jail, causing her to become even more emotionally upset, according to police.
Lesieur was arrested for 1 count of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor offense, and released on $500.00 unsecured bail to a sober co-signer.
The daughter was not charged by DNREC officials for killing the seagull, a violation of federal laws and regulations pertaining to migratory birds; however, they did educate the teenager in regards to her actions.
Image Credits: Rehoboth Police
