Three local high school students are accused of shooting and killing two wild peacocks earlier this month in Riverview.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says the boys admitted to hunting the birds on March 20 in the Boyette Springs neighborhood. Investigators say two other boys were with the group, but they didn't shoot the bird.
The group had a sleepover and went hunting with air rifles overnight, authorities say. After killing the birds and beginning to walk home, they dropped the birds in a storm drain on Windswept Avenue because they were scared a vehicle was coming, according to law enforcement.
A witness later found the two birds and called deputies. The peacocks did not appear to be tortured, beaten or mutilated in any way. They weren't owned by anyone and had been freely roaming the neighborhood until their deaths.
Investigators have suggested the three boys face animal cruelty charges and have referred the case to the State Attorney's Office to make a determination. The boys have not been identified due to their age.
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