Teens face cruelty charges for killing deer

(AP) - Three teenagers are facing felony charges in Nicollet County after they allegedly killed a deer with a baseball bat and a screwdriver, then grilled up chunks of meat from the animal.

Authorities say the three high school students from the Twin Cities metro area were staying at a family cabin on Swan Lake on March 19. Officers responding to a complaint about a loud muffler found a pickup truck and one of the teens covered in blood.

According to a criminal complaint, the teens told police they accidentally hit the deer with the truck but didn't kill it. They said one of them tried to choke the deer, but when that didn't work they beat it with a bat and stabbed it with a screwdriver.

But a Department of Natural Resources investigator inspected the scene and said there was no indication the deer was hit by a truck.

All three are facing felony charges of torturing an animal, as well as misdemeanor drinking and wild game violations.

Information from: The Free Press, http://www.mankatofreepress.com

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