Police say 2 Calif. university students used cigarette lighter in alleged torture of hamsters
By APThursday, April 22, 2010
Police: Calif. students accused in hamster torture
DAVIS, Calif. — Two University of California, Davis students are facing charges after police say they tortured two hamsters with a cigarette lighter and posted a video of the incident on Facebook.
Campus police say 18-year-old Henry Nguyen and 19-year-old Josue Melendez were taken into custody Wednesday on suspicion of animal cruelty.
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.
Police say the video posting led to the investigation of the two students.
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. It was not known of the two students had hired attorneys.
