A man is facing animal cruelty and other charges after police said he was caught on camera pouring bleach, alcohol and soap into a koi pond at Aventura Mall, killing multiple fish.
Canin Lathaniel Sanders, 30, was arrested Thursday on 20 counts of animal cruelty and one count each of criminal mischief and resisting an officer without violence, an arrest report said.
The report said witnesses and surveillance cameras captured Sanders pouring the items into the pond that holds around 50 fish, which are worth over $1,000 a piece.
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After the liquid was dumped in, several fish turned sideways at the water's surface and were struggling to breathe.
When they reached the surface, Sanders began touching and petting the fish, the report said.
Mall employees and police arrived and Sanders starting walking away but he was eventually taken into custody, the report said.
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Over 20 of the fish died as a result. Mall officials said the cleaning and care of the remaining fish would cost around $5,000, bringing the total loss to the mall to around $25,000, the report said.
Sanders, of Miami Gardens, was booked into jail and was being held Friday on $11,000 bond, records showed. Attorney information wasn't available.
"Yesterday, someone put foreign substances into our Koi Pond and was arrested by Aventura Police. Our team worked immediately to remove most of the fish from the pond and has been working continuously with Miami Dade Animal Services," the mall said in a statement Friday. "Fortunately, many of the fish were saved, and the teams continue to monitor their health and maintain the pond."
