Placerville Man Due In Vegas Court For Beheading Bird At Casino

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A University of California, Berkeley, law student is due in Las Vegas court for an evidence hearing on felony and misdemeanor charges in what prosecutors allege was the torture death and beheading of an exotic bird at a Strip resort.

Justin Alexander Teixeira has pleaded not guilty in the Oct. 12 death of the helmeted guineafowl at a wildlife habitat at the Flamingo Las Vegas.

A judge will decide if there's enough evidence for the 24-year-old from Placerville, Calif., to stand trial in state court.

Another Berkeley student, Eric Cuellar, pleaded guilty Jan. 10 to a misdemeanor charge of instigating an act of cruelty to an animal.

Cuellar was fined $200 and ordered to pay $150 in restitution, serve 48 hours of community service and enroll in alcohol counseling.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.