Man accused of animal abuse

SPRING HILL -- A 38-year-old man was charged with animal cruelty after he shot a squirrel this weekend, authorities said. Eric Neumann of 7181 Landmark Drive told deputies he was angry at squirrels because one jumped on his daughter's head as she played with toys in the back yard. One of Neumann's neighbors, Phillip Brown, reported him.

Brown was walking his dog on Sunday when he heard a shot. He looked up at the tree line and saw a small squirrel stumble across a branch and then fall to the ground. He called the Sheriff's Office. Neumann told deputies that the neighborhood had too many squirrels and he wanted them all to be gone, deputies said. He was shooting at them with a BB gun, authorities said.

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