Teen Accused Of Leaving Dead Cow At School Arrested

WICHITA FALLS, TX. (AP) – A 16-year-old boy accused of leaving a calf carcass at Wichita Falls High School faces two misdemeanor charges in an incident initially suspected of stemming from school rivalry.

The teen, whose identity will not be released because of his age, was taken into custody Wednesday and charged with criminal trespass and criminal mischief, police Sgt. Joe Snyder said.

After the dead calf was left at the campus the evening of Nov. 1, many thought it stemmed from the school’s rivalry with Rider High School, which is to play at Wichita Falls High on Friday. But police dismissed that theory after learning that the boy is not a student in the Wichita Falls Independent School District, Snyder said.

Investigators found the animal’s owner, who told them that the cow had been in failing health and that it had been humanely destroyed because of its condition, Snyder said. Detectives later learned the identity of the suspect, who told them he had entered the school property intending to commit the offense, Snyder said.

The boy knows the cow’s owner, police said, but it’s unclear why the teen took the dead animal to the school. No one else faces charges in connection to the incident, police said.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Edited and Posted to KVIA.com by Miguel Martinez