Sheriff: Man left dead animals at Parkland massacre memorial

Sep 2, 2022, 11:21 AM | Updated: 1:57 pm

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has been charged with leaving dead animals on three separate occasions at a memorial for the 17 victims of the Parkland school massacre, officials said Friday.

Robert Mondragon, 29, is being held without bail on three felony charges of defacing a monument for his alleged actions outside Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and for violating probation on an earlier conviction for battery and indecent exposure.

Broward County sheriff’s investigators said on the night of July 20, Mondragon put a dead, cut open duck on the bench that is part of the memorial garden outside the school commemorating the victims of the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre.

The next night, Mondragon left a dead raccoon on the bench and on July 31 he left a dead opossum, investigators said.

After he was identified as a suspect, a deputy pulled him over and found blood and feathers in his car. He allegedly told the deputy he had been keeping a dead bird in his car because he liked the smell. He was arrested Aug. 5.

In the earlier case, he was convicted of approaching a woman and exposing himself and biting a police officer who responded.

State records show that in 2018, authorities seized guns from Mondragon under the state’s so-called red flag law. That law, adopted after the Stoneman Douglas shootings, allows law enforcement to seek a judge’s permission to seize firearms from people who can be shown to be a danger to themselves or others.

Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said at a Friday press conference that Mondragon had made numerous computer searches about old school shootings, which makes him fearful that Mondragon may have been planning one himself.

“He fits every classification that it’s coming,” Tony said, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We’ve been lucky, and luck is not a strategy.”

Andrew Coffey, Mondragon’s attorney, said Mondragon “had a troubled and traumatic childhood.” He said Mondragon was the child victim of a crime that is now awaiting trial, but he declined to give specifics.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

FILE - Gabby Petito's mother Nichole Schmidt, wipes a tear from her face during a news conference o...

Associated Press

Mother of man who killed Gabby Petito said in letter she would help son ‘dispose of a body’

The mother of the man who killed Gabby Petito told her son in an undated letter that she would “dispose of a body” if needed because she loved him so much, according to copies of the note shared publicly for the first time this week by attorneys for Petito's parents.

2 days ago

A member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, places flags in front of e...

Associated Press

5 things to know about Memorial Day including its controversies

Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers.

2 days ago

FILE - This artist sketch depicts the trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, left, as he test...

Associated Press

Officers describe chaos, fear on Jan. 6 as judge weighs prison time for Oath Keepers’ Rhodes

Police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and public servants who fled the mob's attack told a judge on Wednesday that they are still haunted by what they endured, as the judge prepares to hand down sentences in a landmark Capitol riot case.

3 days ago

Pride month merchandise is displayed at the front of a Target store in Hackensack, N.J., Wednesday,...

Associated Press

Target on the defensive after removing LGBTQ+-themed products

Target once distinguished itself as being boldly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.

4 days ago

(Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)...

Associated Press

Former Arizona television journalist announces bid for Schweikert’s US House seat

A former Phoenix television journalist announced her candidacy Wednesday for the congressional seat currently held by seven-term Republican Rep. David Schweikert.

4 days ago

Tortoise by Henry Davis earned an honorable mention in the "Adventures in Nature” student photo c...

Associated Press

When you adopt a desert tortoise, prepare for a surprisingly social and zippy pet

They’re not fluffy, they don’t play fetch and they certainly don’t roll over. But there is such a thing as a lap tortoise.

5 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

...

re:vitalize

Why drug-free weight loss still matters

Wanting to lose weight is a common goal for many people as they progress throughout life, but choosing between a holistic approach or to take medicine can be a tough decision.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Company looking for oldest air conditioner and wants to reward homeowner with new one

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.

Sheriff: Man left dead animals at Parkland massacre memorial