BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — A felony animal cruelty case filed in Palm Beach County this week centers on a shooting near a Boca Raton school property, where deputies say a man armed with a pellet rifle shot a Muscovy duck multiple times during active school hours.
Arash Raffaty Javidan, 29, of Boca Raton, was booked March 11 on a charge of aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony under Florida Statute 828.12(2). Jail records show he was later released on a $5,000 surety bond.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office case stems from an incident on Feb. 23 at 10190 Calle Comercio, listed in court records as La Petite Academy in Boca Raton.
According to the probable cause affidavit, PBSO deputies responded around 2 p.m. after a report of a man with a rifle behind La Petite Academy during school hours. The affidavit says the call created an immediate public safety concern because children were present and traffic in the area was heavy.
Deputies made contact with Javidan, who told deputies he was operating as "AJ Javidan Iguana Hunters". A witness later told investigators they saw him walk behind the school carrying a rifle and enter the campus area to alert staff.
A school staff member, identified in the affidavit as Sherry, told deputies that hunting activity during school hours posed a danger to children and requested that Javidan leave the property immediately.
While on scene, Lopez reported seeing that Javidan had shot a Muscovy duck that was injured but not immediately killed. The affidavit says the duck was left alive on the ground, bleeding and suffering, until Lopez directed Javidan to humanely dispatch it. Deputies also reported blood on the pavement and on the La Petite Academy sign and surrounding ground.
Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control officers responded to the scene, according to the affidavit. Investigators said one freshly dead Muscovy duck was found and impounded for necropsy, and photographs were taken and uploaded into evidence.
The investigation continued over the next several days.
On Feb. 24, investigators returned to La Petite Academy and spoke with Director Shari Seeman. After reviewing body-worn camera footage, Seeman positively identified Javidan as the person she saw shooting ducks near the school, according to the affidavit. She also told deputies that no one affiliated with La Petite Academy had given him permission to discharge a weapon or kill animals on the property.
The next day, investigators interviewed Claudia Echevarria, property manager for the Mission Bay Homeowners Association. Court records say Echevarria told deputies Javidan had contacted the HOA on Feb. 23 about killing iguanas, but she instructed him that such activity was not allowed without board approval and told him to submit a written request. She said no permission had been granted to kill animals on Mission Bay property.
Investigators also interviewed Dr. Russell Landon Baxley, a veterinarian with Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, regarding the duck’s necropsy. The affidavit says radiographs showed five metal pellet projectiles inside the duck’s body, along with a metal fragment of unknown origin. During necropsy, three pellets were recovered.
Baxley advised that the duck had been shot at least five times, according to the affidavit. The fatal injury was a pellet wound to the head, but the veterinarian concluded the duck was likely shot multiple times before that fatal head wound. The affidavit says Baxley documented significant hemorrhage in the neck and soft tissue injuries consistent with fresh trauma, and said the wounds showed the animal suffered before death.
The affidavit states that investigators concluded Javidan intentionally shot the duck at least five times with a pellet rifle, causing multiple non-fatal wounds before the fatal shot. It also says the shooting happened without authorization from the property owner and during active school hours, facts investigators cited in support of the felony charge.
Palm Beach County court records dated March 12 show the case assigned in circuit court, along with entries for an arrest record, a probable cause affidavit, and a notation that the defendant bonded out. Jail records list the booking date and time as March 11 at 12:52 p.m., with release recorded the same day at 9:55 p.m.
The criminal case now moves through the Palm Beach County court system. Residents following it should watch for future court dates, any formal charging decision by prosecutors, and whether additional case documents become public.
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