A U.S. Postal Service worker seen on video beating Pasadena’s beloved white peacock was charged with animal cruelty, according to authorities and court records.
Los Angeles County prosecutors identified the suspect in court records as Charanjit Singh.
The 48-year-old Rosemead resident was charged Thursday with a misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals, records show. It is the first time the mail carrier has been identified since the Aug. 18 incident.
Singh could not immediately be reached for comment.
The USPS, which is conducting an investigation into the incident, did not respond to a request for comment.
The criminal charge came a week after the Pasadena Humane Society announced that the rare white fowl had recovered from its injuries and was relocated to a private ranch in Northern California.
“After carefully considering what would be best for his long-term well-being,” the nonprofit said in a statement at the time, “our wildlife experts determined that relocation would offer him the best quality of life and help reduce the risk of future negative encounters given the significant public attention surrounding his case.”
The peacock made headlines two months ago when a resident found the injured bird in the 3700 block of Mohawk Street.
The peacock was well known in the neighborhood where it lived for years, and some residents had come to call him Sugar. The bird was also known for its disposition, especially toward men.
“When it came to males, he could be a little, well, aggressive,” Gina Davis, a Pasadena schoolteacher, told The Times in a previous interview.
She said the bird had chased off her husband and a neighbor. Davis said her husband named the bird Sugar.
“Because it was white, not because of his personality,” she said.
Davis said she checked her home security footage and was shocked to see what caused Sugar’s condition: A postal worker was caught on camera throwing a rock at the bird and later striking it with a club or stick.
Davis said the video showed the bird following the mail carrier to his truck.
“The peacock was just standing in front of his truck,” she said. “He got out of his truck and had a club or stick or something and hit it,” in the head or neck.
Pasadena Humane said it rushed the bird to its Wildlife Center, where vets found swelling but no broken bones.
The incident prompted an investigation by animal service investigators.
Singh is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 6.
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