Irvine man accused of killing duckling, beating others before throwing them in the trash

A 71-year-old man in Irvine is accused of beating a group of ducklings, killing one in the process, before throwing them in a trash can.

The Irvine Police Department said the ducklings and a mother duck were swimming in a community pool near Morena and Segura Thursday morning when suspect Randall Bertsch, who lives nearby, gathered some of the ducklings into a box. 

Bertsch then slammed a blue trash can on some of the ducklings before throwing them into the bin, according to investigators. Witness Ninette Infante said the ducklings hatched on her porch and walked over to the pool minutes before Bertsch started attacking them. 

"I almost couldn't sleep at all because I couldn't unsee that poor dead duckling and the injured ones," Infante said. "I mean, we had invested almost 30 days watching the mother sitting on her eggs and trying to make sure no wild animals came onto our patios. We wouldn't even let our cats out."

Officers said when they found the ducklings, one of them was dead. Another suffered severe head trauma and was taken to a local veterinary clinic for treatment. The other ducklings and the mother duck escaped Bertsch, according to Irvine PD.

The Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center said the injured bird has started recovering but it will need about six to eight weeks before it will be released. 

"It was not doing too hot when it came in," said Jaret Davey, who works at the center. "It was very quite depressed, very sad and listless. But, after it got some water and warmth and a little bit of food, it perked right up."

Detectives quickly located Bertsch at his home. After refusing to talk to the investigators, officers got a search warrant and arrested Bertsch for animal cruelty. 

"We want to assure the community that the protection and welfare of animals in our city remains a high priority," Irvine PD wrote in a statement. "We thank the community members who reported this incident and assisted our officers."

Irvine PD said it will submit the case to the Orange County District Attorney's Office for formal charges once officers finish their investigation. 

Officers reminded residents that migratory birds are protected by federal law and cannot be moved or relocated in most cases. 

They urged residents to call Animal Services at (949) 724-7000 if they need help with ducklings or other wildlife.