Man Charged in Parrot’s Microwave Death
A University of Wisconsin student was charged Thursday with cooking a live parrot in a microwave oven, apparently to get revenge against a fellow student.
Chad Alvarez, 23, son of the school’s football coach, Barry Alvarez, was charged with one count of intentional mistreatment of an animal resulting in death and was ordered to return to Dade County Circuit Court for a hearing June 1.
Police said Alvarez entered the room of another student on May 4 and took Iago, a blue and green parrot, to a dining room, where he cooked it in a microwave.
Investigators said Alvarez may have acted because of a dispute with the parrot’s owner over an e-mail chain letter. If convicted, he could be fined $10,000 and sentenced to two years in jail.
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