Newport Beach man faces animal cruelty charges

Deepa Bharath

A 52-year-old Newport Beach man is facing two felony counts of animal

cruelty and up to three years in state prison for allegedly smashing

a parrot against a boat, breaking its beak and leg, officials said

Tuesday.

A pretrial hearing is set for Monday in the case against Anthony

James Ellis. The Orange County district attorney filed animal cruelty

and animal abuse charges against Ellis on March 13. Officials said

Ellis deliberately hurt a Macaw he had owned for 11 years.

The incident occurred on March 2 at about 6 p.m. when several

witnesses saw Ellis slam the bird against a boat docked in front of

the Newport Beach Elks Club, said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve

Shulman.

Ellis “grabbed the bird by the legs, held it upside down and

struck it repeatedly with a closed fist,” Shulman said, reading from

a police report.

“He then slammed the bird head first into the floor of the boat,”

he said.

Police arrested him about a half an hour after the incident,

Shulman said. He said Ellis “appeared to be intoxicated” at the time.

Ellis has claimed that he was drunk, that the bird started biting

him and that he simply reacted to the pain and acted in self defense,

said Michelle Emard, spokeswoman for the Orange County District

Attorney.

“The only person who observed the whole incident was a friend [of

Ellis’],” she said, “who is corroborating the defendant’s version of

the story.”

Ellis could not be reached for comment.

Emard said Elks Club members were watching from the window

overlooking the dock while Ellis was injuring the bird. Elks Club

members declined to comment Tuesday.

Emard said the bird survived, but suffered a broken beak, facial

contusions and a fractured leg. She said the Macaw, which also

happens to be the mascot of the Elks Club, is now being held by

Newport Beach Animal Control officials and has wracked up more than

$3,500 in medical bills.

The Newport Beach Police Department is seeking reimbursement of

the veterinarian’s charges, she said.

A forfeiture proceeding to take the bird away from Ellis is in the

process, Emard said.

“So, the bird is waiting to be placed in foster care,” she said.

It is up to the judge to reduce the felonies to misdemeanors,

Emard said.

“But we’re sticking with the felony charges,” she said.