Saturday, July 26, 2008

Berwyn man accused of trapping wild squirrels, leaving them to die

ILLINOIS -- A 72-year-old Berwyn man is accused of capturing wild squirrels in his backyard and leaving them to die, police said.

Berwyn police Monday confiscated two animal traps from the man, who lives in the 7000 block of West 29th Street. He was issued a ticket for breaking a city ordinance that prohibits keeping wild animals and cruelty to animals, authorities said.

A woman who had been finding dead squirrels around her home and on her street suspected it was her neighbor killing them and called authorities, according to a police report. She told police the man trapped the animals and left them to die without food or water, the report said.

The man is scheduled to appear in local ordinance court in the western suburb on Aug. 14.

Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.

(Chicago Tribune - July 25, 2008)