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LAS VEGAS » Two men who say they’re Berkeley, Calif., law school students have been arrested after police say they killed and decapitated an exotic bird that was part of a Las Vegas resort attraction.
Twenty-four-year-old Eric Cuellar and 24-year-old Justin Teixeira were jailed Friday afternoon on suspicion of conspiracy and willful malicious killing of wildlife.
Police say the two men were seen Friday laughing and throwing around the body of a dead, 14-year-old helmeted guineafowl at the Flamingo resort-casino. The large bird was part of the Flamingo’s Wildlife Habitat, a garden area with ponds and streams that houses many types of birds.
Authorities say surveillance video captured the men chasing the bird into some trees. Witnesses say the two emerge carrying the body and severed bird head.
Police say the men claimed to study at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and had student identification cards. It’s not clear if they have attorneys.
