4 February 6-12, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | news | letters | coNteNts | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | ▼ KEY BISCAYNE HORRIFIC WANTED: THE BONEHEAD WHO THREW A ROCK AT A GREAT WHITE HERON AT BILL BAGGS STATE PARK. BY ALEX DELUCA O n January 20, a woman at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park called the staff at Pelican Har- bor Seabird Station to report a disturbing incident: She’d just seen a fisherman throw a large rock at a Great White Heron that attempted to steal the man’s fish. Amanda Burke, a wildlife rehabilitator for the Miami-based nonprofit that rescues na- tive wildlife, arrived at the scene shortly after. She found the large white bird hiding and crouched in the grass near the water, with its right wing drooping and bleeding heavily. Once at the station, x-rays revealed a fractured humerus with two breaks. Emergency surgery was scheduled for the following morning. Although Burke’s work often involves treating animals harmed by human-related injuries or illnesses, she says these cases are typically accidental — such as window strikes or habitat loss. This, she says, was different. “This one really stuck with me and really upset me a lot because it was so horrific. It just made me so sad the more I thought about it because, especially in Miami, we’re con- stantly encroaching on wild habitat and tak- ing away what little they already have,” Burke tells New Times. “And, you know, this poor thing was just trying to eat.” Burke spoke with a park ranger at Bill Baggs, who attempted to approach the fisher- man after the incident. But the ranger told her the man quickly packed his belongings and left the park. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) tells New Times that it’s now investigating the incident and seeking information about the person responsible. “[FWC] officers are aware of an incident of animal cruelty involving a Great White Heron that occurred at Bill Baggs State Park in Miami-Dade County on January 20, 2025,” Arielle Callender, an FWC spokesperson, tells New Times. “The FWC asks anyone who wit- nessed this incident or anyone with informa- tion to call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).” The Great White Heron lives primarily in mangroves, tidal shallows, and coastal ponds in peninsular Florida. The majestic birds have the “largest, heaviest bills,” typically a distinct yellow-orange color, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. According to Florida law, a person who intentionally commits an act to an animal that “results in the cruel death, or excessive or repeated inflic- tion of unnecessary pain or suffering” commits aggra- vated animal cruelty — a third- degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and/ or a $10,000 fine. Pelican Harbor Seabird Station’s Instagram photos show the bandaged-up bird cowering inside a cage, as well as X-rays of its fractured wing. Burke explained that the station’s vet placed pins into its fracture during surgery and achieved “incredible alignment, especially given the circumstances.” “Though the bird’s prog- nosis is guarded, we are hope- ful that this terrible injury will be just a small blip in its long life,” the Instagram post reads. “Hopefully, this beautiful bird will heal from these injuries and make it back out to the world where it belongs.” A week later, Burke reported that the bird was showing signs of improvement but that the fragments will likely take several more weeks to heal. Editor’s note: Founded in 1980 to rescue na- tive wildlife, Pelican Harbor Seabird Station is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that operates solely through donations. To learn more and/or to donate, visit pelicanharbor.org. | RIPTIDE | GET MORE NEWS & COMMENTARY AT MIAMINEWTIMES.COM/NEWS Photos taken at Pelican Harbor Seabird Station show the bandaged heron cowering inside a cage, as well as X-rays of its fractured wing. Photos by Amanda Burke ▼ NORTH MIAMI BEACH CASE CLOSED FORMER NORTH MIAMI BEACH MAYOR PLEADS GUILTY IN ILLEGAL VOTING CASE. BY ALEX DELUCA F ormer North Miami Beach Mayor An- thony DeFillipo has pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to a 2023 case in which he was accused of voting thrice in city elections while living in a different county. On Monday, DeFillipo pleaded guilty to two felony counts — voting as an unqualified elector and violating election residency requirements — as part of a deal brokered with prosecutors. While he originally faced up to 20 years and 60 days in prison, DeFillipo will now serve four years of probation. In a statement to New Times, current mayor Michael Joseph thanked Gov. Ron DeSantis and Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernan- dez-Rundle for “helping us set things right.” “This is not a red or blue issue,” Joseph said. “This is a law and order issue. After today, the people of North Miami Beach can finally turn the page on the city’s history of public corruption and toward a brighter future together.” As first reported by New Times in December 2022, an ethics complaint accused DeFillipo of living in a Davie mansion far outside the North Miami Beach city limits, an alleged violation of the city charter. The controversy triggered an ex- tended deadlock in North Miami Beach govern- ment as commissioners refused to acknowledge DeFillipo as mayor. DeFillipo vehemently denied the allegations at the time, insisting he lived in a small North Miami Beach apartment and that he was being casti- gated for visiting fam- ily in the Davie home. Meanwhile, Bro- ward County property records showed DeFillipo purchased the single-family Davie home in the swanky Sierra Ranches community for $1.2 mil- lion in July 2022. New Times attempted to speak with DeFillipo at the house in December 2022, during which the mayor could be seen through the transparent front doors. He declined to answer the doorbell. In June 2023, DeFillipo was arrested and charged with three counts of voting miscon- duct after months of scrutiny over his resi- dency changes and whether he used a false address to vote in elections in North Miami Beach. Gov. Ron DeSantis promptly suspended him from office. Prosecutors say DeFillipo violated Florida election law by failing to update his address in county records before submitting ballots in 2022. While he sold his family’s longtime home- stead residence in North Miami Beach near Greynolds Park Elementary in 2021, he pro- ceeded to vote in three elections under that ad- dress — the primary, general, and North Miami Beach runoff elections in 2022. Prosecutors say DeFillipo did not provide the county with an updated address until nearly a year after he sold the family home. Under the terms of his probation, DeFillipo is required to perform 200 hours of community service and forfeit any right to hold public office. DeFillipo’s attorney, Benedict Kuehne, tells New Times that DeFillipo is “relieved” to move forward from the controversy. “Former Mayor DeFillipo dedicated his professional life to serving the best interests of the public,” Kuehne wrote in a statement. “He is relieved to put this controversy behind him. His path forward is now cleared to continue helping the community, freed from political infighting.” [email protected] “THIS IS NOT A RED OR BLUE ISSUE. THIS IS A LAW AND ORDER ISSUE.” Anthony DeFillipo was elected as mayor of North Miami Beach in 2018. Photo by City of North Miami Beach
