04/10/22.Students allegedly post hamster torture on YouTube

by **Dark Blue** » Apr 23rd, '10, 02:21

Source: http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articl ... sters.html

DAVIS, Calif. - Two University of California, Davis students were arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty Wednesday, according to campus police and a university spokesman.

Henry Nguyen, 18, of Oakland and Josue Melendez, 19, of Los Angeles County have been accused of using a cigarette lighter to burn two hamsters, according to university spokesman Andy Fell. One of the hamsters died and the other was treated at the UC Davis veterinary hospital and survived.

The abuse came to light when a video believed made by Nguyen and Melendez showed the hamsters being tortured, said Lt. John Pike of the UC Davis Police Department.

The video was posted on Facebook, prompting an investigation.

"It's very hard to watch," said Pike. "It's unfortunate, it's very disheartening to listen to the extent of ... what these young men did to the animals."

Fell said the pair were undergraduates living in a UC Davis residence hall at the time of the incident. Whether UC Davis has taken action against Nguyen and Melendez was not known and News10 calls placed to the university and campus police were not immediately answered late Wednesday afternoon.