3 Boulder teens charged with cruelty in Raccoon's death

COLORADO --  Three 19-year-olds in Boulder are facing felony animal cruelty charges after witnesses said they beat a raccoon to death outside their home on Nov. 7.

Nicholas Philip Foti, Lucas B. Holton and August Quinn Noble were arrested at Boulder Police headquarters today. They are free on $2,500 bond each.

Nicholas Philip Foti

August Quinn Noble

Lucas B. Holton

Witnesses told police the three beat the raccoon until it was dead outside their home. The Daily Camera reported that the teens beat the raccoon with a baseball bat and a machete.

Foti allegedly told police the raccoon had been getting into trash cans at their home in the 1000 block of 11th Street in Boulder,

He said he hit the raccoon harder than he meant to, then realizing it was hurt, tried to put it down, police said in a media release.

A necropsy showed the raccoon died from head trauma.

According to the Camera, Foti and Noble are University of Colorado students, while Holton is a student at Front Range Community College.

(Denver Post - November 17, 2011)