Man Accused Of Killing Flamingo Dies In Pedestrian Accident
CBS Miami reports that a man who spent time in jail after he killed the beloved Chilean Pink Flamingo known as Pinky has died after being struck by a vehicle last month.
The Florida Highway Patrol reports that on June 5th just after 6:00 a.m., Joseph Correo, 48 was struck by a Ford F-150 pickup truck as he attempted to cross State Road 50, near Story Partin Road, just a short distance from his home in Orlando. Correo was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
In 2016, while visiting Busch Gardens with his mother and daughters, Correo grabbed Pinky, a resident of the amusement park, from her pen and slammed the bird to the ground. Pinky was so badly injured in the incident that she had to be euthanized.
The Tampa Bay Times reported at the time of the incident that eyewitnesses to the incident said Correo had done what he did in a fit of rage after being yelled at by his mother to release the bird. Correo told police that he did it to show off to his daughters, but that he hadn’t meant to harm Pinky.
Busch Gardens said in a statement:
“Pinky was a beloved member of the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay family and made many appearances on behalf of the park’s conservation and education efforts,” the park said in a statement. “She will be sorely missed.”
Correo was held for five days for felony animal cruelty and was released on bail. He was due to stand trial for the 2016 incident in August.