3 people sentenced to prison for removing and damaging a Parma flamingo statue

PARMA, Ohio — The three men arrested for allegedly removing and damaging Parma's iconic flamingo statue were sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to a lesser charge.

Judge Deanna O'Donnell sentenced Taylor Pupkiewicz, 25, Marcus Balue, 25, and David Burak, 24, to 180 days in jail, a $500 fine and 500 hours of community service. The trio will serve a total of nine days behind bars after 170 days in jail were suspended, plus credit for one night served.

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The men were initially charged with vandalism, a fifth-degree felony. As part of the plea agreement, the charge was reduced to attempted misdemeanor theft.

“This is a complete lack of respect for the community that you live in,” O'Donnell told the three men as he handed down his sentence. “It’s a complete disregard for every single person who works so hard to make this city a great place to live.”

According to the Parma Police Department, the incident occurred around 5 a.m. on May 25 when “unknown offenders illegally removed the flamingo that was previously located next to the Parma script sign near the wading pool on W. Ridgewood Dr.” The flamingo was later found about 50 feet north of its original location, but it had been damaged.

The flamingo statue was installed earlier this year thanks to a donation from Bob Funk, who honored his late wife and daughter, who both died of breast cancer.

“While this is not the crime of the century, it is a gut punch to Mr. Robert Funk, who so graciously donated thousands and thousands of dollars to get this statue here in the city to honor of his deceased wife and his deceased daughter who both died of cancer Cancer stole his wife and his daughter and you thought it would be nice to steal more,” O'Donnell added.

O'Donnell ruled that half of the community service hours the trio had to perform had to be done at the University Heights Parma Cancer Center, the American Cancer Society or the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The three men will also be on probation for 36 months.

“The prison sentence starts today,” she told the three defendants as they left the courtroom.

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