A Jeep driver is going to jail for a month after a deliberate and heinous act of mowing down 25 seagulls in the vehicle. The driver ran over the birds on the beach in what can only be described a cruel.
The courts sentenced 64-year-old James Shephard Travis to 30 days in jail. He plead guilty to both first-degree animal cruelty and reckless driving. Ultimately, he accepted a plea deal after facing up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Instead, he will spend just a month in jail. Travis ran over a group of seagulls on Klipsan Beach last July. The blatant act of animal cruelty shocked beachgoers. Additionally, Judge Donald Richter deferred 20 days of the 30-day sentence. That means he could be free after just a week. He must also do 160 hours of community service and a $750 fine.
Seagulls Massacre
Kim Ledyard McGee described the man running through the seagulls. She said, "We watched him plow through the flock without slowing down at all, and did not swerve to avoid any birds. A few minutes later, he passed us again at a high rate of speed. After the third time, Bob flung our beater truck sideways right in front of [him] forcing him to either hit us or stop."
She added, "We jumped out screaming at him... He even still had a dead bird in his grill! After we reamed him out, he still took off at a high speed."
The driver appeared to be "kept saying sorry in a quiet, monotone voice... appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol," according to police.
After the shocking display, McGee and her party found three seagulls still alive. They tried to get them treatment, but they sadly passed away in their arms.
"So upset and something I won't be able to un-see or forget," McGee said.
Of the incident, police said the jeep driver drove in a reckless manner. Other people could have got hurt.
"Travis drove in a reckless manner, and at a high rate of speed, nearly striking pedestrians and several dogs," police said at the time.
