PETA responds to allegations that Ricky Aguayo killed Phi Sig’s turtle

Over the weekend, controversy from earlier this year resurfaced regarding FSU kicker Ricky Aguayo and members of Pi Kappa Phi. In a video posted by TMZ, members of the fraternity are seen punching Aguayo over missed field goals in the 2016 game against UF.

In February of this year, Aguayo and another FSU football player were accused of breaking into the house next door to Pi Kapp, inhabited by brothers of Phi Sig, and damaging property, including ripping a member's pet turtle, named "Turntle," in half. Charges were not pressed at the time.

Tyler Carbonelli, a member of Phi Sig, posted a status on Facebook Tuesday, reading "Let’s not forget the real story behind this. Ricky Aguayo and Ryan Izzo broke into our house next door to this fraternity, broke all of our furniture, ripped out all of the plants in the front yard and ripped our pet turtle in half and threw it out on the street. And we never should have dropped the charges filed against them."

In response to the alleged turtle maiming, Stephanie Bell, Senior Director of Cruelty Case Work at PETA said the organization was "very alarmed" by the allegations and that "people who abuse animals rarely do so only once."

She also said they would be contacting FSUPD to see if more action needed to be taken in the investigation.

"We’ve seen our fair share of fraternities engaging in cruelty to animals and that in itself isn’t unheard of and the hazing culture which is often a culture of violence takes pleasure in the pain and suffering of others," Bell told The Tab. "And animals are sometime victimized."

In this instance, the alleged perpetrator wasn't a member of Greek life. Two years ago, however, the Daily Mail reported that a fraternity member bit a hamster's head off. They originally speculated he went to FSU but it was later confirmed he was a student at Ole Miss.

Will the FSU community bring Turntle the justice she deserved? Time will tell.

More to follow.