Sean of the Thread
10-29-2006, 10:19 PM
W T F
Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006 ]
Snake grilling charges dropped
The assistant district attorney may re-file the charges against a student accused of killing and grilling a friend's pet.
By Sara Ganim email
Collegian Staff Writer
Although a judge dismissed theft and criminal mischief charges yesterday against a Penn State student accused of killing a snake and cooking it on a George Foreman grill, the assistant district attorney said he may re-file the charges.
Baren Berg, 21, was accused of killing the snake, a friend's pet, with a pocketknife while spending the night at the friend's apartment. The snake, a two-foot black and white baby king, was a little thinner than the roundness of a quarter, David Klug, a Penn State wrestler and the snake's owner, said.
Neil Bretz, also a member of the Penn State wrestling team, testified yesterday at Berg's preliminary hearing that the night after he allowed Berg to spend the night at his apartment, he found his roommate's pet snake dead.
He said he was awakened Aug. 24 during the night by Berg, who had allegedly put the snake on Bretz's neck and told him there was blood on his bed. Bertz said he yelled at Berg to leave him alone and went back to sleep.
Bretz testified that the next morning he found crusty scales and a piece of meat on a George Foreman grill in his kitchen. He said he also found blood in his sheets.
He said he went to his roommate's bedroom, where the snake lived, and found the head of the snake in the doorway, a piece of raw snake on the floor and a bloody knife in the empty fish tank where the snake had lived.
Berg's attorney, Sean McGraw, said Berg killed the snake, but only after it bit him.
He successfully argued that no theft occurred because he said Berg did not intend to take the snake to deprive it from its owner.
Centre County Assistant District Attorney Nathan Boob opted to allow the charges to be dismissed, but he said he will decide today whether or not he will re-file charges against Berg and attempt to continue prosecution.
Klug testified that he was out of town the night of the alleged incident.
Centre County District Judge Thomas Jordan said yesterday at Berg's preliminary hearing that there was not probable cause to charge Berg with theft of the snake, but he was prepared to rule on the criminal mischief charge if the District Attorney's office agreed
Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006 ]
Snake grilling charges dropped
The assistant district attorney may re-file the charges against a student accused of killing and grilling a friend's pet.
By Sara Ganim email
Collegian Staff Writer
Although a judge dismissed theft and criminal mischief charges yesterday against a Penn State student accused of killing a snake and cooking it on a George Foreman grill, the assistant district attorney said he may re-file the charges.
Baren Berg, 21, was accused of killing the snake, a friend's pet, with a pocketknife while spending the night at the friend's apartment. The snake, a two-foot black and white baby king, was a little thinner than the roundness of a quarter, David Klug, a Penn State wrestler and the snake's owner, said.
Neil Bretz, also a member of the Penn State wrestling team, testified yesterday at Berg's preliminary hearing that the night after he allowed Berg to spend the night at his apartment, he found his roommate's pet snake dead.
He said he was awakened Aug. 24 during the night by Berg, who had allegedly put the snake on Bretz's neck and told him there was blood on his bed. Bertz said he yelled at Berg to leave him alone and went back to sleep.
Bretz testified that the next morning he found crusty scales and a piece of meat on a George Foreman grill in his kitchen. He said he also found blood in his sheets.
He said he went to his roommate's bedroom, where the snake lived, and found the head of the snake in the doorway, a piece of raw snake on the floor and a bloody knife in the empty fish tank where the snake had lived.
Berg's attorney, Sean McGraw, said Berg killed the snake, but only after it bit him.
He successfully argued that no theft occurred because he said Berg did not intend to take the snake to deprive it from its owner.
Centre County Assistant District Attorney Nathan Boob opted to allow the charges to be dismissed, but he said he will decide today whether or not he will re-file charges against Berg and attempt to continue prosecution.
Klug testified that he was out of town the night of the alleged incident.
Centre County District Judge Thomas Jordan said yesterday at Berg's preliminary hearing that there was not probable cause to charge Berg with theft of the snake, but he was prepared to rule on the criminal mischief charge if the District Attorney's office agreed