PARKLAND, Fla. – A man obsessed with the Parkland massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was arrested for depositing dead animals at a memorial site for the victim’s, authorities said Friday.
Robert Mondragon, 29, reportedly left a mutilated duck in the memorial garden at MSD High School on July 20, Fox News reported.
According to the New York Post, Mondragon’s tattoo’s mimic that of a mass shooter from the TV show “American Horror Story.”
The mutilated duck wasn’t Mondragon’s only disparate act. He reportedly returned to dump a dead raccoon and possum at the place of honor for the deceased students, according to the news outlet.
When Mondragon was detained July 31 for a traffic violation, the deputy noticed bird feathers and blood splattered across the passenger side floorboard, police said.
“Mondragon told the deputy he had the dead bird in his car because he likes ‘the metal and blood smell that emit from the dead animal,’” according to a police report.
A continuing investigation later revealed that Mondragon posed with the dead animals based upon photos discovered on his phone, along with footage of his car near the memorial, the Post reported.
The gutted duck was first noticed July 20 at the memorial site by a school crossing guard. A dead raccoon was found the following day, followed by the dead opossum 10 days later, authorities said.
The sentencing trial for Nikolas Cruz, the confessed Parkland mass murderer, began July 18, just before the dead animals began to appear. As of Friday, the capital punishment penalty phase remains ongoing.
Mondragon was first arrested Aug. 4 for violating terms of probation from previous charges, which included battery and indecent exposure, Fox reported.
However, he has subsequently been charged with three counts of disfiguring a monument. He is being held without bond, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
