Boy, 12, accused of killing 11 chickens with shovel

A 12-year-old Oakland boy was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly broke into a chicken coop at a community garden over the weekend and used a shovel to bludgeon 11 chickens to death, police said.

Investigators are still searching for a second juvenile in connection with the break-in at the garden run under the auspices of the Alameda Point Collaborative, which provides transitional housing and other services at the former Alameda Naval Air Station to people who were once homeless.

Along with breaking into the chicken coop on Lemoore Road, the boy is suspected of breaking into the garden's tool shed and stealing the shovel, police detective Sgt. Wayland Gee said.

The boy's name was not disclosed because he is a juvenile. He lives in Oakland and was released after he was given a Notice to Appear on animal cruelty charges in Juvenile Court, according to investigators.

"He put the blame on other kids," Gee said.

Detective Sgt. Jennifer Basham said police have identified the second juvenile suspected of participating in the break-in.

A collaborative employee discovered the doors of the coop and tool shed had been forced open on Sunday afternoon, police said. The break-in apparently happened sometime after Saturday morning.

Eleven chickens were dead, while six were still alive and one was missing, Gee said. The shovel was nearby and showed evidence that someone had used it to kill the birds, he said.

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began investigating the case Monday after the break-in was initially reported to the city's Animal Control department.

Patrol Officer Richard Soto was interviewing a witness on Tuesday at the former base -- which is now known as Alameda Point -- when he spotted the 12-year-old boy and detained him because he allegedly matched the description of one of the suspects.

The youth was later positively identified as having taken part in the break-in, police said.

Doug Biggs, the executive director of the collaborative, said the agency was still reviewing what happened.

Gee said the Alameda Police Officers Association is working with the collaborative on finding ways to replace the birds.