NY teens charged with setting snapper turtle on fire, stabbing it with pole until it died

BELLPORT, N.Y. – BELLPORT, N.Y. (AP) — Two New York teens have been charged with setting a turtle on fire and stabbing it with a pole until it died.

Suffolk County police arrested one suspect Friday and a second suspect Saturday. Both 18-year-olds have been charged with animal cruelty and third-degree criminal trespass.

Police say the teens found a 12-pound snapper turtle on the side of a Bellport road on May 22 and placed it in a backyard fire pit. Police say they doused the turtle with gasoline and set it on fire.

They say the teens then stabbed it through its shell with a metal pole until it died.