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Three teenagers have been arrested after they allegedly stole a swan prized by its community in upstate New York before killing and eating the beloved bird over the Memorial Day weekend, officials said.
Police in Manlius, a southeast suburb of Syracuse, first sounded the alarm earlier this week after Faye, one of the village’s most iconic residents, and four of her baby swans, known as cygnets, were reported missing after a Memorial Day parade.
When exactly Faye and her kin vanished was not clear, but police said they were reviewing camera footage to get to the bottom of the disappearance.
“Unfortunately, the investigation led to the discovery that Faye … had been killed over the weekend,” the Town of Malnius Police Department said in an update Tuesday.
Manlius Mayor Paul Whorrall revealed on Wednesday that the mother swan had been “consumed.”
“Sad to say, but that’s what they did,” Whorrall said, according to The Associated Press.
Manlius police Sgt. Ken Hatter said the bird had been brought back to one of the suspect’s aunt’s house, where it was prepared and cooked, according to the news agency.
The four cygnets were found safe and were in the care of a biologist tasked with overseeing the health and wellbeing of Manlius’ swans, police said.
The arrests of three teenagers in the alleged swan slaying came after a concerned citizen spotted two baby swans in a store in nearby Salina and called authorities, Hatter said.
One of the suspects who was working at the store confessed to having taken the birds along with two other teenagers, he said.
The three teens were arrested on Tuesday and are now facing charges including grand larceny and criminal mischief in connection with the incident, Hatter said.
Two of the suspects, aged 16 and 17, were released to their parents as they are juveniles, police said, according to the AP. The third, who is 18, is awaiting arraignment, they said. Information on their attorneys was not available.
Hunting swans is legal in a number of U.S. states, but New York is not one of them.
Manlius has been known for its swans for more than a century, with its swan pond long serving as a local landmark.
“The swans have been a part of this village for well over 100 years,” Whorrall said. “We’re known for our swans.”
Faye and her mate, Manny, had called Manlius’ swan pond home for more than a decade after they were donated by biologist and self-described “swan guru” Michael Bean.
Josh Cradduck and The Associated Press contributed.
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