A 61-year-old Florida man has been arrested after allegedly killing and consuming two of his own pet peacocks following a dispute with his neighbor.
A criminal complaint reviewed by PEOPLE reports that the neighbor discovered a letter in her mailbox detailing how the birds had been decapitated, bled out, and cooked in a frying pan.
The complaint states that Craig Vogt, of Hudson, Fla., admitted to deputies that he killed and ate the peacocks “out of spite” because the neighbor had been feeding them. He reportedly said that when he is released from jail, he plans to kill his remaining birds to prevent anyone else from caring for them.
Vogt is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals causing excessive pain or death, a third-degree felony under Florida law.
Court records indicate he appeared before a judge, was assigned a public defender, and remained in custody as of Monday at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center, according to Pasco County court records.
Additionally, the neighbor filed for—and was granted—a protective order against Vogt on Sept. 29, according to court records.
