Campus police say 18-year-old Henry Nguyen and 19-year-old Josue Melendez were taken into custody last week on suspicion of animal cruelty. The video, which was posted to Facebook, led to the investigation of the two students.
The two students allegedly battered and used the lighter to torture the hamsters. One of the hamsters died, but the other recovered after being cared for at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital:
According to the criminal complaint filed by the Yolo County District Attorney, Nguyen and Melendez bought a hamster from PetCo on February 9, and tortured the animal until it died. The two suspects allegedly hit the hamster with a ruler, flung it across the room, and put the animal "in a cup and lit the bottom of the cup on fire," the criminal complaint reads.Yolo County jail officials said Melendez was being held on $20,000 bail, while Nguyen was still in the process of being booked late Wednesday. Sounds like two sick idiots with too much time on their hands. Glad they were arrested before it led to something worse. More here: UCD Students Accused Of Animal Torture.
Authorities said the suspects bought another hamster the next day and tortured it as well; striking the animal repeatedly, placing a Q-tip in the hamster's mouth and lighting it on fire.
