A fisherman who allegedly stomped on the beak of a pelican that swooped down and attempted to eat his bait at Newport Beach Pier will face a judge Friday.

Orange County District Attorney's spokeswoman Farrah Emami told the Weekly that 19-year-old Daniel Richard Moreno, III has been charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty following the March 14 incident. The pelican, unable to fly, was rescued and transported to the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, she said.

The Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center reports that the man also allegedly stomped the California brown pelican on the head and drew blood. The bird's beak was reportedly fractured, which amounts to a life-threatening injury because the birds use their snouts to catch their food — fish.

The center states that it will take about a month for the bird to recover.

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