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Tavares man drowns nuisance raccoon, deputies say

James Miller

A Tavares man is facing charges after deputies said he drowned a raccoon.
Deputies said a woman witnessed the incident near Sunset Court, and called authorities.
She told deputies she saw her neighbor, Frank Miller, get on his pontoon boat with a raccoon in a case on Friday.
She told deputies she saw Miller drop the cage into the water and leave it there for several minutes.
The witnesses said she told Miller that drowning the raccoon was inhumane and he should call Animal Control instead.
Franklin told her that animal was in his house.
The witness said the raccoon was under water for about six minutes and when he took the cage out, the animal was dead.
The neighbor recorded the incident and showed deputies.
Deputies went to Miller’s home, where his wife told them they were having problems with a raccoon that had killed her chickens and got into their house.
Miller was arrested and charged with animal cruelty.