CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A Chesapeake man is out on bond after spending days in jail for allegedly killing his neighbor's pet duck and then stealing the body.
40-year old Gregory Montie was arrested on Wednesday, April 19th. He is charged with animal cruelty, reckless handing of a firearm, trespassing, vandalism, and larceny of domesticated poultry.
According to court documents from Chesapeake Circuit Court, the incident happened in March. Chesapeake Police went to Lake Shore Drive after a neighbor called authorities to report his neighbor firing a 'long gun' into the nearby woods.
Police briefly spoke to the man, and left. They would return hours later for yet another incident.
Officers believe Montie turned his attention to his neighbor's backyard and fired four rounds onto the property. One of the bullets struck and killed the family's pet duck, Libby, while she was outside in a chicken coop.
Neighbors told police about surveillance video that captured the moment that Libby died. Those cameras allegedly also caught Montie speaking to his wife to "fix a problem." Then, the cameras are vandalized with black spray paint.
However, audio recordings continue.
The chicken's coop door is open, and someone takes the duck's body away. The duck's owners were not home during the incident, and said they returned to find the pet missing.
They checked their surveillance video and then called police.
A Chesapeake judge granted Montie a $2,500 bond during a hearing at Chesapeake Circuit Court.
The judge gave him specific instructions to not contact his next-door neighbors, to refrain from drinking alcohol, and is not allowed to use or possess a firearm.
A preliminary hearing for Montie is scheduled on June 20th.
