The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has placed a student on interim suspension after he was arrested for trespassing, grand larceny and animal cruelty in the theft of a Chilean flamingo.
According to the Hattiesburg American, Devin Nottis, 19, and nine other college students are suspected of breaking into the Hattiesburg Zoo and stealing two flamingoes early Tuesday morning. However, only Nottis has been arrested and he is now banned from campus unless to see the Dean of Students for judiciary reasons.
USM's communications office confirmed in a news release that the two flamingoes died during the incident, prompting the animal cruelty charge.
Nottis was pledging for the Delta Mu chapter of the Phi Kappa Alpha fraternity (PIKE), which USM suspended indefinitely. The national organization also announced the chapter would be placed on administrative suspension.
"The University is taking swift and appropriate action in response to this incident," Southern Miss Dr. Joe Paul, USM vice president for student affairs, said in the release. "This is a terrible and heinous act that has occurred, and inconsistent with the values of our institution."
The Hattiesburg Police Department and the USM Police are working together on the investigation. Paul said investigators believe other fraternity members were involved, but would not say if any more arrests or disciplinary actions are on the way.
"When the case is finished, it will be presented to the grand jury to determine if any indictments will be handed down," Lt. Jon Traxler, a Hattiesburg PD spokesman, told the American. "I have been told that if indicted, the suspects would be charged with conspiracy."
Officials with the zoo said a female flamingo was apparently the target of the theft, because her male mate had external wounds and died from internal injuries. The female had to be euthanized because of her injuries.
The officials stressed that there is a highly specialized way to transport flamingoes essentially to save them from themselves. The officials said they theorized the male flamingo died trying to protect its mate while the female suffered her injuries trying to escape her captor(s).
