Ohio teen pleads guilty to slaying alpaca

HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) — A teen charged in the beating death of an alpaca from a southwest Ohio farm has pleaded guilty to several charges, including cruelty to animals.

Court officials tell The Associated Press that 18-year-old Nicholas Reynolds also pleaded guilty today to breaking and entering, tampering with evidence, vandalism and grand theft. The 3-month old alpaca was taken from a Madison Township farm in January.

Reynolds, of the Middletown area north of Cincinnati, also pleaded guilty to attempted failure to comply with a police order in a separate case.

He faces up to 101⁄2 years in prison on all the charges.

Another teen and a 23-year-old woman are awaiting trial in the alpaca case.

Alpacas are llama-like animals valued for their soft fleece. The slain alpaca named Masterpiece was valued at $8,000.