Man Accused of Biting Off Rooster's Head

A man accused of biting the head off his pet rooster was arrested Friday and faces up to a year in prison if convicted.

A neighbour had complained about a dead rooster near his Manhattan apartment and agents found the body of the beheaded rooster on a fire escape, said Joe Pentangelo, spokesman for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The rooster's head was not located.

Humberto Rodriguez, 52, told agents that he bit the rooster's head off because he blamed it injuring a pet pigeon that he also kept in the apartment.

Rodriguez is charged with animal cruelty and could face up to a year in prison if convicted. It is also illegal to possess a live rooster in New York City, Pentangelo said.