CAPE CORAL, Fla. --- An investigation is under way into an incident in Cape Coral this week that left two turtles injured.
According to a Cape Coral Police report, a neighbor filed a complaint about a resident in the 1200 block of NW 13th Street who was reportedly seen throwing and kicking two turtles across the roadway.
The woman brought the turtles to an animal clinic for treatment.
According to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, one of the turtles is a Florida red-bellied cooter, a native species, that suffered a small chip to its shell and some minor lacerations on its tail. The turtle should make a full recovery and be able to be released. The other turtle was a red-eared slider, a non-native species. Unfortunately, FWC prohibits returning these turtles to the wild and it was humanely euthanized.
Another neighbor's Ring home surveillance system captured video and audio of the incident.
Cape Coral Police say that this incident is unfortunately not one in which an arrest can made without an officer witnessing it, according to Florida statute. They say an officer will gather all the information and submit it to the State Attorney's Office for review.
