The UC Berkeley law student accused of decapitating an exotic bird in a Las Vegas hotel last October will attend an arraignment May 13 to face felony charges related to the incident.
The 25-year-old student, Justin Alexander Teixeira, was charged with felonies of killing and torture of an animal by the Clark County District Attorney’s Office after allegedly beheading a helmeted guineafowl. The 14-year-old bird, named Turk, resided in the Wildlife Habitat attraction of the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino.
According to a statement released by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Teixeira and Eric Cuellar, also a UC Berkeley law student, were caught on video surveillance chasing the bird into a grove of trees and later emerging with its body and severed head.
Cuellar pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of instigating violence toward the bird. He was fined $200 and ordered to pay $150 restitution to the hotel as well as complete 48 community service hours and enroll in alcohol counseling. According to prosecutor Frank Cuomo, Cuellar has already completed his requirements.
Teixeira is expected to plead not guilty at his arraignment, at which a judge will determine whether there is enough evidence to warrant a trial. If convicted, Teixeira will face up to eight years in prison as well as a fine. Additionally, Teixeira has informed court officials that a felony conviction might jeopardize his admission to the state bar.
According to Cuomo, a third UC Berkeley student was also involved in the incident and may be charged as well. He also noted that the men appeared to be intoxicated.
“I’ve been a prosecutor for over 20 years, and this is the first animal cruelty case I’ve dealt with of this nature,” Cuomo said. “We’ve never had a case of an individual decapitating an animal. It’s definitely out of the norm.”
Cuomo said that he feels “confident” about the case due to the amount of evidence investigators have accrued. Along with supplying video evidence provided by the hotel and a cellphone video from Cuellar, the investigators intend to bring in an expert veterinarian to testify that the bird was indeed killed by Teixeira, Cuomo said. A woman is also prepared to testify that she witnessed Teixeira and Cuomo throwing the dead bird’s head.
Furthermore, Teixeira faces lesser charges of animal torture and cruelty, which are punishable with up to 18 months in jail. He will have a separate trial in July for those charges.
While he could not predict the outcome of the potential trial, Cuomo said there were ongoing negotiations with Teixeira’s defense attorney.
Teixeira will be represented by Las Vegas lawyer Michael Pariente, who declined to comment on the case.
