A woman filmed picking up a duck from a fountain at a Las Vegas hotel and then throwing it back and forth has been arrested, but her lawyer argues she should face no charges because the bird was a wild animal rather than someone's property. The incident, captured on video that circulated widely online, showed the duck appearing distressed and injured during the encounter, prompting public outrage and scrutiny from local authorities over how the case should be handled.

The woman, identified as Destiny Reyes, was taken into custody after the footage drew attention, with critics branding her treatment of the animal cruel. Her defence rests on the legal argument that because the duck was wild and not owned by the hotel or any individual, standard theft or property-damage statutes may not straightforwardly apply, complicating prosecutors' efforts to bring charges.