New York teens arrested for killing and eating town swan 

Two teenagers and a young adult from New York are being accused of killing and eating a town’s mother swan on Memorial Day, authorities said. 

The swan, Faye, and her four babies were stolen from a pond in the town of Manlius in Upstate New York on Saturday. The three suspects, aged 16, 17, and 18, said they thought the swan was a large duck at the time, without realizing that it was actually owned by the town of Manlius. 

"They did not know that it was a swan and they did not know that it was a wild animal, that it was actually owned by the village," Manlius Police Sgt. Ken Hatter said. 

According to police, the three suspects were “hunting” when they came across the Manlius Swan Pond and jumped over the fence around it at around 3 a.m. After spotting Faye, the teens killed the swan and took her body back home to eat it for dinner. They planned to keep the four baby swans as pets. 

“The mother swan was consumed,” Manlius Mayor Paul Whorrall said Wednesday. “Sad to say, but that’s what they did.”

Police officers received tips from several residents that led them to the location of the suspects at the Shop City Plaza in the town of Salina. There, they recovered two baby swans. 

Upon further investigation, police were able to find the other two baby swans at a home in Syracuse. 

The 18-year-old suspect, identified later as Eman Hussan of Syracuse, and the two other teenagers were arrested and charged with felony grand larceny and criminal mischief, as well as misdemeanor conspiracy and criminal trespass. Hussan was arraigned and released. His court date is scheduled for June 15. 

The baby swans, known as cygnets, were placed in the care of a biologist who“ensures the health and wellbeing of the swans” for the town, said Mayor Whorrall. 

“The swans have been a part of this village for well over 100 years,” Whorrall added. “We’re known for our swans.”