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Don't these pigs have any REAL criminals to hunt down?
Business owner who fed pigeons near runway pleads not guilty By Veronica Rocha, Los Angeles Times September 10, 2011, 9:23 p.m. A 59-year-old Burbank business owner pleaded not guilty Friday to creating a nuisance and potential danger for aircraft at Bob Hope Airport by feeding hundreds of pigeons near the runway. Charles Douglas appeared in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Burbank with attorneys Bruce Kaufman and Donald Ingalls to answer to the misdemeanor charges of disobeying a court order and creating a public nuisance. They declined to comment about the case, which was continued to Oct. 21 for a pretrial hearing. Douglas, a Glendale resident, has long battled with police and city officials over feeding a growing flock of pigeons at his business, Precise Roofing Co., which is near the airport. Police say feeding the birds at his business on Hollywood Way and Tulare Avenue has created a safety hazard for airplanes using the airport. Bird strikes had been increasing because of the influx, police said, prompting Douglas' arrest in August. The birds caused a Southwest Airlines flight in July to be diverted to Ontario, officials said. In December 2010 and again in February, Douglas was found guilty of feeding pigeons so as to create a nuisance, court documents show. Police cited Douglas again in July for feeding the birds. If Douglas is convicted of one of the charges, city attorneys said, he faces six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. veronica.rocha@latimes.com |