Florida man headlines usually write themselves, but this one’s darker than the usual gator-in-a-convenience-store fare. Authorities in Pasco County say a 61-year-old man killed, cooked, and ate two of his own pet peacocks in the middle of a dispute with his neighbor.
The man, identified as Craig Vogt of Hudson, Florida, was arrested last week on a felony charge of aggravated animal cruelty, according to court records and an affidavit reviewed by USA Today. Deputies say he admitted to cutting the birds’ necks “out of spite,” bleeding them out, and frying them in a pan.
The fight allegedly started because a neighbor kept feeding the peacocks. Investigators say Vogt left her a letter promising that he’d keep killing the birds if she didn’t stop. That threat wasn’t idle. The affidavit says he told deputies the whole point was to “prove a point,” even while eating the animals afterward.
Florida Man Reportedly Slaughtered and Ate His Pet Peacocks Amid Neighbor Drama
On the way to jail, Vogt allegedly doubled down, telling deputies that once he was released, he would kill the rest of his peacocks so no one else could take them. Authorities haven’t said how many birds are still on the property or what might happen to them.
Pasco County records show Vogt was booked into the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center on September 23. As of this week, he was no longer listed as an inmate. His bond amount hasn’t been released, and no attorney of record was listed in court filings.
The case has left many unanswered questions—such as how many peacocks were living on the property in the first place, and how common peacock ownership actually is on Florida’s Gulf Coast, and just an overall…WTF? For now, all that’s clear is that a neighborhood spat spiraled into something much stranger, ending with two flamboyant birds on a frying pan.
If convicted, Vogt faces up to five years in prison for aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony under Florida law. The sheriff’s office has not said whether further charges are possible.
In a state where bizarre arrests regularly make national news, this one has a singularly grim twist. A feud over feeding birds turned into the birds themselves being butchered for dinner. The details, as the affidavit puts it, were “out of spite.”
This story seems a little too “Florida Man”…even for Florida.
The post Florida Man Accused of Killing and Eating His Pet Peacocks During Feud With Neighbor appeared first on VICE.
