Man arrested after deer, fawn killed

A Tiburon man was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty for allegedly shooting a doe and her fawn near his home on Saturday morning.

Mark Dickinson allegedly shot the deer with a pellet gun because they were eating his decorative plants, according to Tiburon police.

Police responded around 5:20 a.m. to a report of a man acting suspiciously in the street in the 2300 block of Mar East Street. They found two injured deer in or near the roadway, Tiburon police spokeswoman Laurie Nilsen said.

Dickinson fired several shots at the deer, which then ran off, Nilsen said.

Tiburon police informed the Marin Humane Society about the shooting around 6 a.m. The fawn was still alive but soon died, and the Humane Society took possession of the deer for examinations, Humane Society spokeswoman Lisa Bloch said.

Dickinson was booked into Marin County Jail but posted bail, and the case was referred to the Marin County District Attorney’s Office, according to Tiburon police.

Assistant District Attorney Barry Borden said a court date has tentatively been set for Sept. 20, but the case is still under review.