Crime & Safety

Cobb Teens Slaughtered Mother Opossum, Babies: Police

A video on Snapchat showed the 19 year old and 16 year old "destroying the animals" at their home, according to Cobb County Police.

MARIETTA, GA — Two Cobb County teens are facing animal cruelty charges after police say they brutally killed a mother opossum and her four babies.

Rocquavious Williams, 19, and a 16-year-old juvenile were arrested Wednesday at North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, according to the Cobb County Police Department. They both are charged with five counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.

Williams also is charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor in the case.

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According to police, a student at North Cobb reported receiving a graphic Snapchat video of the two students killing the mother and her young.

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The opossum is considered a game animal in Georgia and has a hunting season that runs from October to February. But, while not releasing details, police said the video showed the teens "destroying the animals in a way that was not consistent with legal harvesting."

The incident happened at their home in Kennesaw, police said. The student who received the video reached out to school police, who turned the video over to the Kennesaw Police Department. That department, in turn, requested help from Cobb County Police.

Police say the incident is still under investigation and ask anyone with information to contact the Cobb County Police Department's Animal Cruelty Investigation Unit at 770-590-5638.


Photo courtesy Georgia Department of Natural Resources

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