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Leetonia man charged with running over ducks at Columbiana McDonalds

COLUMBIANA – A Leetonia man is wanted by city police for killing ducks in the McDonald’s parking lot on Tuesday.

Officer Richard Whitfield was called to the restaurant around noon after someone reported a man purposefully drove his truck over two ducks, killing one and seriously injuring the other.

One woman who witnessed the attack was able to provide Whitfield with a license plate number for the blue truck, and using that and descriptions of the driver from other witnesses, police traced the incident back to Jose D.E. Ramos IV, 21, of Columbia Street, Leetonia.

In a written statement to the police department, the woman said she had motioned for Ramos to stop his truck so she could get out of her vehicle and “shoo” the ducks away, and although he stopped initially and honked his horn, only moments later he “revved his engine” and drove forward over two of the ducks.

The woman said she told her 5-year-old child who was in her vehicle at the time to “look in the back seat” so she wouldn’t see the ducks being hurt.

In his report, Whitfield described the scene, noting the dead duck one had been “smashed” on the road and the injured one was barely breathing.

Another woman also spoke to him about the incident, and a third witness is expected to provide a statement, he said on Wednesday.

McDonald’s employees were also upset and asked police to find the man responsible.

Ramos had left the lot before police arrived and was last seen headed toward Circle K on South Main Street, according to reports.

Police were unable to locate him on Tuesday, however, and on Wednesday Whitfield submitted an affidavit for his arrest to the Columbiana County Municipal Court.

He is being charged with animal cruelty.

kschwendeman@mojonews.com

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