A suspect in Cuyahoga County ran over 90 ring-billed gulls roosting on the ground at a construction site in December 2025, then came back to the scene the following day and started collecting the dead birds. Investigators say six bags of dead gulls were ultimately gathered as evidence before the case moved toward its resolution in court, according to WJW Fox 8.
According to a FOX 8 News report, the suspect was charged with nine counts of unlawfully taking a nongame bird, nine counts of animal cruelty, possessing criminal tools and obstructing official business. The nine-count structure on both the nongame bird and cruelty charges suggests investigators built the case around a portion of the birds killed, even though the overall toll from the incident was reported at 90 ring-billed gulls, a common species along Ohio's Lake Erie shoreline whose scientific name is Larus delawarensis.
Per the field report cited by the outlet, the suspect returned to the construction site the day after running over the birds and began collecting the dead animals, an act investigators characterized as an attempt to destroy evidence tied to the deaths of the 90 gulls, as noted by WJW Fox 8. That return trip is what led to the recovery of six bags of dead birds, which were preserved as evidence in the case.
Guilty Plea Brings Restitution and Community Service
The report notes that, according to newly released information, the suspect pleaded guilty to several of the charges. As part of the resolution, the subject was ordered to pay more than $2,000 in restitution and court costs and to complete 50 hours of community service related to helping animals.
A Familiar Pattern With Gulls and Vehicles
The Cuyahoga County case echoes a 2024 incident in Washington state, where James S. Travis was accused of intentionally driving a rented Jeep Wrangler into a flock of gulls at Klipsan Beach. According to The Bulletin, court records indicate Travis drove at a high rate of speed and intentionally struck the birds on July 27, 2024, killing 21 of them.
Other outlets reported a somewhat higher toll from that same incident. The Oregonian/OregonLive described the 64-year-old Hawaii man as accused of running over 25 seagulls, and a witness in that report estimated the Jeep was traveling 50 to 60 mph in a zone posted for 25 mph. KPTV likewise reported that Washington officials accused Travis of intentionally driving into a flock of 25 state-protected seagulls at Klipsan Beach, near Long Beach, Washington.
Whether the Ohio and Washington cases were prosecuted under comparable statutes or produced similar outcomes isn't established by the available reporting; the two incidents share a method and a species but not necessarily a legal framework. Gulls are broadly protected under federal law, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation notes that it is illegal to kill, sell, purchase or possess migratory birds or their parts, including feathers, nests and eggs, except as otherwise allowed.
For now, the Cuyahoga County case stands as a reminder that killing protected birds, even unintentionally in the eyes of a driver, can carry real legal consequences.
