A former Alabama community college student athlete has been charged with a felony crime in the baseball-bat beating of a duck.

Thomas “Landon” Grant, 19, is charged with aggravated animal cruelty. A warrant has been issued for a second suspect, and police investigators say additional arrests could be forthcoming.

The incident took place May 5 when a white Muscovy duck was taken from the pond at Central Alabama Community College in Alexander City.

Alexander City police Det. Robert Oliver said a group of student athletes – baseball players – had attended a party that Wednesday night. After the party, he said, they went to the pond on campus and took one of the ducks.

Oliver said the suspects hit the duck with the bat, and then took it back to a nearby apartment. They put the wounded duck in a bag, and then one of the students decided to “put it out of its misery” and continued to beat the duck. They then disposed of the duck, still in a bag, in a wooded area.

A coach, Oliver said, heard the commotion and found the gravely wounded, but still alive, duck in the woods. It was taken to a veterinarian where it had to be euthanized.

The coach contacted school officials, and police launched their own investigation as well. Efforts to reach school officials for comment weren’t immediately successful, but Oliver said their criminal probe led to the warrants against Grant and one other student.

Grant was arrested May 31 and booked into the Tallapoosa County Jail on the Class C felony. He was released the same day after posting $5,000 bond. He has a court date set for late July.

Oliver said the investigation is ongoing.